Pirates of the Caribbean: Come What May
by AhiFlame
Summary: Jack meets up with some old--not too friendly--acquaintances with a mind for something in his posession. Will, Elizabeth and Bootstrap must help Jack and his crew before it's too late. The start of a new story arc, COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1: Messages

[a/n from AhiFlame: Alrighty, this is the sequel to 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Old Rivalries Revived'. Sorry this took so long in coming, but we had to come up with the plot line and a starting point. Blah, not my thing. Anywho, reviews are greatly appreciated, but not a requirement. Mind, they DO help us write more chapters and post them faster, though!]  
  
[a/n from Sweetn'InnocentNikki: I get to write an author's note, I'm so happy. Now I can't remember if I wrote any for ORR, did I Ambs? Oh I love to write, but I'm not as dedicated as Ambs, so if there's no post for awhile it's probably my fault; just email me CharmedAngel4444@msn.com. Hope you all enjoy it and remember: REVIEW.]  
  
DISCLAIMER: (This will apply for the WHOLE story, so don't yell at us for lack of one in later chapters, savvy?) We don't own 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl' or any of the characters/places associated with it. They belong to their rightful owners. We're just a couple of teenagers who are obsessed with the movie and get bored in school easily, aye? Aye.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The golden sun sat high in the virtually cloudless blue sky, casting a warm glow over the Caribbean sea. A dark spot could be seen just below where the sky met the ocean, and upon further inspection, one would know the ship instantly: The Black Pearl.  
Her dark sails were unfurled and full of the Caribbean breeze, propelling her smoothly through the gently rolling waves. Her bow cut through the waves like a knife through butter, the water splashing harmlessly off the tar-covered wood.  
To some, the sight of the dark ship would be intimidating; the sound of her name struck fear into many a civilian's or sailor's heart.  
But to Captain Jack Sparrow, this ship was home.  
He stood behind the helm of his ship, leaning rather heavily on the wooden wheel and swaying with the rocking of the ship. His eyes were only halfway open as he listened to the waves crashing into each other and the hull of his ship. He was so content to stay rooted to that spot that he didn't even hear the soft footfalls approaching him from behind.  
"Captain,"  
Jack jumped noticeably as the female voice cut through his silent thoughts and brought him out of his ocean-induced trance.  
"What?" Jack asked somewhat irritably, turning to face the owner of the voice. "Ana-Maria, how many times have I told you NOT to sneak up behind me?!"  
"I didn't sneak up." Ana-Maria retorted sharply. "I just walked up like any other person would."  
"Hmph." Jack muttered, turning his back to her. He knew she was right, he was just too proud to admit it. It was bad enough when Elizabeth had been right about burning the rum on the island-he couldn't stand for Ana-Maria to have the same victory. "Whadda ya want?"  
"You've been standin' 'ere since dawn. Just checkin' t' see if ye needed a break."  
"When I want a break, I'll ask fer one, savvy?" Jack retorted, a sharper than intended edge in his voice. "Don't be tellin' me wha' I need an' don't need."  
Ana-Maria's face darkened and she crossed her arms in front of her. "Fine Jack Sparrow, but don't expect me t' be carin' e'er agin." She said tartly before stalking off to the main deck.  
"I won't. An' I thank ye fer keepin' t' yer own business!" Jack retorted as she walked off.  
  
~*~  
  
The bright orange and yellow orb that was the sun sank ever lower towards the horizon, marking the ending of the day.  
"Cap'n! Ship coming up on our stern!" Ladbroc called to the quarter deck.  
Jack Sparrow's head shot up and he squinted against the setting sun in an attempt to see the face of his crewman, which, seeing as the crewman was all the way up in the crow's nest with the sun right behind him, was a rather futile task. He turned to look behind him and saw a small dot below the horizon. From what he could determine, it was indeed heading for them. 'Hmmm . . .'  
"Can ye tell what colors they're sailin' under?" Jack called back up to Ladbroc.  
Ladbroc was silent for a moment, squinting through the telescope at the approaching vessel. "I can't see any colors, sir."  
Jack put a hand to his chin in thought, but Ladbroc interrupted his contemplations with another statement.  
"But she's small. In a fight, s'not likely she'd be any match fer us." Ladbroc announced, lowering the telescope.  
"Thank you Mr. Ladbroc!" Jack called up, turning back to face the helm.  
"Cap'n, what're your plans fer this?" Gibbs asked, joining Jack at the helm, except he was facing the oncoming ship.  
"We'll-"  
"Run." Ana-Maria broke in.  
Jack and Gibbs turn to face her with confused expressions.  
"We can outrun them, so we should." Ana-Maria clarified. "No ship in it's right sense would follow the Pearl. Especially when we're flying our colors bold as day!"  
"Ana-Maria." Jack started coolly. "You are NOT Captain of this here ship, I am, savvy? And tell me what the CAPTAIN will decide in this situation?"  
Ana-Maria sighed agitatedly. "The CAPTAIN will decide our course of action."  
"That's right. And WHO is the captain again?"  
"You."  
"That's right, ME. Therefore I will be determining what we do-not you-savvy?"  
"Aye sir." Ana-Maria said, trying-but failing miserably-to hide the contempt in her voice.  
Jack noticed this, but ignored it. "Very good. Now, we will let them catch us and since we overpower them, we will fight them and try to claim their ship, aye?"  
"Aye!" The crew that was still on deck called in reply.  
  
~*~  
  
"All this waitin' is drivin' me mad!" Jack exclaimed the next day, bored out of his mind.  
"And how is that changing anything?" Ana-Maria muttered, purposefully letting Jack overhear.  
Jack wheeled on his heel to face her. "Woman! When you've got a complaint, either voice it AWAY from me, or keep it t' yerself. Preferably the latter, savvy?!" Jack nearly screamed in her face.  
Ana-Maria gave a little snort and crossed her arms across her chest, looking away from the captain. "I'll say what I like, when I like." She retorted. "Savvy?" She added in a mocking tone.  
Jack then spun back to face the helm, infuriated. "Men! We're gonna turn an' meet 'em halfway! Prepare for a hard-to-port turn, aye?"  
"Aye, aye!" The men called, preparing themselves for the soon-to- come sharp 180-degree turn.  
"The chaser is about to become the chase." Jack muttered to himself, giving the wheel a sharp turn and pulling the Pearl around to face the way she had come from.  
"I still say this is daft." Ana-Maria muttered, storming off to the main deck.  
Once Ana-Maria was out of earshot, Gibbs spoke. "Cap'n, ye sure it's a good idea t' get her in a huff like this?"  
Jack continued staring straight ahead while he spoke. "She'll be fine." He replied calmly, if not a bit coldly. "In fact, gettin' her riled might be best if we're t' end up in a battle."  
Gibbs nodded, though his expression said he wasn't in the least bit convinced. Lucky for him, Jack wasn't looking.  
  
~*~  
  
The Black Pearl sliced through the waters rapidly, the wind backing her up. She made quick time in approaching the unmarked vessel.  
Jack stood behind the helm of the fastest and most feared pirate ship in the Caribbean, bringing her up and around so that the Pearl could rake the port quarter of the chase without presenting herself as a target.  
"Man the cannons!" Jack called to his crew across the deck.  
"Aye aye!"  
"Cap'n!" Gibbs exclaimed suddenly, pointing to the ship they were in pursuit of.  
The ship was in the process of turning hard to starboard, bringing herself up alongside the Black Pearl and making both ships vulnerable to attack.  
A black Jolly Roger was hoisted high on the opposing vessel, confirming Jack's suspicions that the crew of the ship so intent on meeting with the fearsome Black Pearl were indeed pirates.  
However, Jack wasn't expecting what came next.  
  
~*~  
  
The day had arrived.  
Will and Elizabeth's wedding was mere moments away from beginning. Maids were busy scurrying around, making last minute preparations. Everything was perfect; the cake had been delivered earlier and Elizabeth was fidgeting with excitement as she waited for the ceremony to begin. She was so excited, she could hardly wait for their lives together to begin.  
Meanwhile, Will was the exact opposite of Elizabeth. Although he was excited to be married, he was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.  
"Do you think I'll do okay? I mean, this isn't exactly the best-most respected pairing. A governor's daughter and a . . . a . . . blacksmith?" Will asked his father, who was helping him get ready to meet his fiancé at the alter. "Hardly seems proper. I mean, I love Elizabeth, I truly do, but I-"  
"Will, relax." Bootstrap said, clapping his son on the shoulder. "Remember, you're not just a blacksmith . . . you're also a pirate."  
Will's expression became even more nervous. "That's not exactly a good thing-"  
"Just be proud of it." Bootstrap interjected, heading for the door.  
After a few silent minutes of anxious waiting, the moment arrived. Will took a deep breath and headed out the door.  
  
~*~  
  
The music began to play and Will walked down the aisle, sweating bullets, and took his place at the front of the room near the priest.  
After a few tedious moments of waiting, the music changed, announcing the arrival of the bride. Will turned to look to the back of the church, a nervous expression on his face.  
A young girl in a white dress proceeded down the aisle, tossing white rose petals here and there as she walked.  
Will held his breath in nervous anticipation. There it was: a sparkle of white against the dark sanctuary doors.  
Elizabeth walked down the aisle in a beautiful white gown flecked with lace, her father at her side.  
Seeing his wife-to-be calmed Will. All his worries disappeared at the sight of her radiant beauty.  
Elizabeth proceeded down the aisle, the sheer white veil not doing much to hide her ecstatic smile. As she took her place next to Will, he took her hand. The two gazed lovingly at each other; the rest of the world was lost to their senses.  
'He's so handsome, brave and smart. Yet so naïve and forbidden,' Elizabeth thought to herself with a slight smile. 'After all, he is a pirate.' She added as an after-thought and her smile broadened. 'I can't believe we're finally getting married.'  
'I must be the luckiest man in the world.' Will thought to himself, returning his wife's loving smile.  
The music came to an abrupt stop and the priest stepped forward. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to-"  
The large wooden doors at the back of the sanctuary flew open, revealing a lone figure. "STOP!"  
Various gasps of shock and disgust at the man's attire were emitted from the congregation.  
The figure stumbled down the aisle, gasping for breath. He collapsed halfway down the aisle, breathing heavily. "I . . . have a message . . . for William Turner and Elizabeth Swann . . ." The messenger panted, not able to stand.  
Elizabeth, Will, and Bootstrap exchanged confused glances.  
"Which William Turner?" Bootstrap asked.  
"Both." The messenger replied, staggering to his feet. From the looks of him, he had run halfway across Jamaica.  
The three that the message was addressed to, rushed over to the man.  
"Get this man some water!" Bootstrap ordered, and a maid rushed off to fetch some.  
"What's the message? Who's it from?" Elizabeth asked.  
The messenger relayed a rather short message in a whisper, but the news paled the faces of the three who heard it. The man then handed a folded slip of paper to Will, who accepted it with a nod a pocketed it.  
"What's so important that you had to interrupt my daughter's wedding?" Governor Swann demanded, standing with a vexed air about him.  
Elizabeth and Will turned to face the Governor, their faces uncharacteristically grim.  
"Father, we must leave." Elizabeth said quietly before the three dashed out of the chapel, leaving a confused and frustrated Governor in their wake.  
He soon retarded his vexation with the realization that he had to come up with an explanation for the congregation.  
"I'm terribly sorry for this, everyone, but it seems that . . ." He trailed off, pausing to come up with a logical explanation-which seemed to be in short supply. "But Elizabeth's . . . cat has taken ill." He finished shakily. He let out a sigh of relief when everyone accepted this . . . little did they know that Elizabeth didn't have a cat. 


	2. Chapter 2: Memories Retold

[a/n from AhiFlame: Erm, yes, school is BORING and crayfish are evil. That being said, here's the next chapter. (Jackfan2, DON'T HURT ME!!!! (US?!) I (WE?!) UPDATED!!!!)]  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Will and Elizabeth hastily made their way to the outskirts of town, making sure to keep hidden as though they were the outlaws they were seeking information from. They preferred not to risk being seen for the sole fact that their higher-class presence in the more rugged outskirts of Port Royal could raise questions that they would prefer not to waste time with answering. That, and the fact that the people out here were not quite as trustworthy as the ones in the main parts of Port Royal. That's the reason the pirates used this area of the settlement as a port when docking for supplies-and when passing on information.  
Will took another look at the slip of paper the couple had received from the messenger at their interrupted wedding: 'The Shipwreck Tavern'. He then looked around at the various buildings as he and Elizabeth made their way down the main street.  
"There." Elizabeth said, stopping and pointing to a building off to their left.  
Will followed as indicated and sure enough, squished amongst the other buildings was a building with a hanging sign that read: 'The Shipwreck Tavern'.  
"Let's go." Will said, leading Elizabeth towards the building.  
As they neared the establishment, they noticed that there was something strange about it. True, the walls were stained from the weather and the roof was in need of some repair, but that was a rather common thing for this area. What was strange was that the tavern was almost dead silent and it was already growing dark. Any other tavern would be busy with people coming and going, or at least have some sounds coming from it.  
A tall figure stepped out from the shadows between the buildings.  
Will put a protective hand on Elizabeth's arm, but when he realized who the figure was, he noticeably relaxed. "Dad."  
Bootstrap nodded. "Let's get in there, eh?"  
"Yes." Will said, leading Elizabeth into the building after Bootstrap.  
The trio made their way through the door-which was barely staying on its hinges-and through the dimly lit entryway. They stopped once they reached the main room and looked around, surprised by how many people were in there and by the utter silence of the place.  
"Gibbs." Will more stated than greeted as he noticed the older sailor standing by an alcove off to the right. He and Elizabeth rushed over to the offset room, Bootstrap following at a more leisurely pace.  
Gibbs had a rather morbid expression on his face as he took his seat, while Ana-Maria sat with the brim of her hat pulled down so her face was covered in shadows. Gibbs looked up as the three approached and motioned for them to take the seats across from Ana-Maria and himself.  
"What's happened?" Elizabeth asked once she was seated. "A messenger came and told us-"  
Gibbs raised a hand to silence her. "S'alright missy, I were the one who sent the messenger."  
Elizabeth and Will leaned in closer, wanting to hear the news.  
"So what happened that's so important our wedding had to be interrupted?" Will asked.  
"S'about Jack . . ." Gibbs said slowly, his voice heavy.  
"What about him?" Elizabeth asked, worry making an appearance in her voice.  
"I best start with the whole story, so here it is," Gibbs said slowly as if reflecting on painful memories. "It were on the third day aft leavin' port. Ladbroc spotted a ship that were trailin' us . . ."  
  
~*FLASHBACK*~  
  
"Cap'n! Ship coming up on our stern!" Ladbroc called to the quarter deck.  
Jack Sparrow's head shot up and he turned to look behind him. He saw a small dot below the horizon and from what he could determine, it was indeed heading for them. 'Hmmm . . .'  
"Can ye tell what colors they're sailin' under?" Jack called back up to Ladbroc.  
Ladbroc was silent for a moment, squinting through the telescope at the approaching vessel. "I can't see any colors, sir."  
Jack put a hand to his chin in thought, but Ladbroc interrupted his contemplations with another statement.  
"But she's small. In a fight, s'not likely she'd be any match fer us." Ladbroc announced, lowering the telescope.  
"Thank you Mr. Ladbroc!" Jack called up, turning back to face the helm.  
"Cap'n, what're your plans fer this?" Gibbs asked, joining Jack at the helm, except he was facing the oncoming ship.  
"Now, we will let them catch us and since we overpower them, we will fight them and claim their ship, aye?"  
"Aye!" The crew that was on deck called in reply.  
  
~*~  
  
"All this waitin' is drivin' me mad!" Jack exclaimed the next day, bored out of his mind. "Men! We're gonna turn an' meet 'em halfway! Prepare for a hard-to-port turn, aye?"  
"Aye, aye!" The men called, preparing themselves for the soon-to- come sharp 180-degree turn.  
"The chaser is about to become the chase." Jack muttered to himself, giving the wheel a sharp turn and pulling the Pearl around to face the way she had come from.  
  
~*~  
  
The Black Pearl sliced through the waters rapidly, the wind backing her up. She made quick time in approaching the unmarked vessel.  
Jack stood behind the helm, bringing her up and around so that the Pearl could rake the port quarter of the chase without presenting herself as a target.  
"Man the cannons!" Jack called to his crew across the deck.  
"Aye aye!"  
"Cap'n!" Gibbs exclaimed suddenly, pointing to the ship they were in pursuit of.  
The ship was turning hard to starboard, bringing herself up alongside the Black Pearl and making both ships vulnerable to attack.  
A dark flag-more specifically a Jolly Roger-was hoisted high on the opposing vessel, confirming Jack's suspicions that the crew of the ship so intent on meeting with the fearsome Black Pearl were, indeed, pirates.  
However, Jack wasn't expecting the crew to be old acquaintances. His breath caught in his chest as the ship drew up alongside the Pearl.  
"Jack . . ." Gibbs muttered.  
"I know. How'd they escape? Let alone find us?" Jack said, voicing a few of the questions swarming through his mind. "Hands, prepare to board and for hand-to-hand combat!" Jack yelled, recovering from his state of shock quickly.  
In response, the whole crew threw grappling hooks across to secure the two ships and drew their cutlasses and pistols.  
Jack drew his own sword and abandoned the helm. "Let's go!" He called, leading the charge on the other ship.  
  
~*END FLASHBACK*~  
  
"What happened then? And how did Barbossa's crew survive?" Will asked, wanting to hear more.  
"Calm down. We don't know 'ow they escaped from our last meetin', but s'best if Ana-Maria tells ye what 'appened next; she were there." Gibbs replied.  
Will, Elizabeth, and Bootstrap turned their attention to Ana-Maria, who had stayed silent and motionless the whole time.  
"Well, are you going to tell us?" Elizabeth more demanded than asked.  
Ana-Maria looked up, her hat brim falling away from her eyes, revealing them to have a sharp glint. "I'll speak when I'm good an' ready." She snapped. Then, her whole attitude changed on a dime and she lowered her gaze to the floor, the brim of her hat once again casting dark shadows on her face, making it unreadable.  
  
~*FLASHBACK*~  
  
Pistol shots began ringing through the air, some taking men down on both sides of the fight and others missing their marks entirely, and yet others tearing holes in wood, rigging, and sails alike.  
Once the preliminary shots had been dispensed, Jack ran to the edge of the Pearl that was alongside the other vessel. He jumped the short distance between the ships, Ana-Maria and Gibbs flanking him on either side with cutlasses drawn.  
The opposing crew met them with matching ferocity and equal-if not greater-man power.  
Once they had gotten a large enough space cleared, Jack, Ana-Maria, and Gibbs split up, slashing their way through the crowds of burly opponents.  
Jack had just finished placing his blade through the middle of a man who stood against him and as he pulled his blade from the corpse, he looked around, assessing the loss on both sides.  
Men had fallen from both crews, neither willing to give in. Fights were raging on both the unnamed vessel and the Black Pearl.  
The one face in particular that he was looking for was nowhere to be seen. This fact sent a chill of worry running down Jack's spine. He searched the deck of both ships quickly, scanning all - corpses included - for the face of -  
"JACK!!" A squeal echoed from the deck of the Black Pearl.  
  
[a/n from AhiFlame: ^^; Got cliffies? *sheepish grin* *meekly* Review? *grins nervously*] 


	3. Chapter 3: The Truth Unveiled

[a/n from AhiFlame: Well, this chapter will clarify a main question . . . but I'm not telling which one it is. You'll find out in due time, my friends . . . *evil cackle*]  
  
[a/n from Sweetn'InnocentNikki: Hi People, I haven't had much part in writing the story YET. LOL. School is evil why do they insist upon loading homework up on the last week of the quarter? But never mind. I hope you enjoy the story, and give Ahi lots and lots of reviews, 'cause she forwards 'em all to me. Happy Reading mates! I GET ANA-MARIA PART LOL, BUT WILL IS MINE. Ok I'm good. LOL, JK.]  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Jack whirled around on his heel to face those fighting on the deck of his ship, the motion causing the trinkets in his hair to click and strands of said hair to cover his face. He brushed the hair away with a quick swipe of his hand and searched the deck of the Black Pearl for the source of the familiar voice.  
  
A moment later, he spotted it. There stood Grapple, holding Ana- Maria hostage with a dagger pointed dangerously at her throat.  
  
Rage flared inside Jack, and he instantly began shoving his way to the side of the unmarked vessel, then jumped the distance between the ships once more. After gaining his footing, he continued his extremely fast pace across the deck of his ship, avoiding the bodies littering the deck.  
  
Only one tall man in particular with a jagged scar running the length of his face attempted to stop Jack's advancement. A swing of the cutlass later and the blighter had crumpled to the deck in pain. Jack didn't waste time in dispensing of the man; he didn't have any to spare. Instead, he surged forward, expertly dodging other bouts and making good headway towards his destination.  
  
"Stop right there Sparrow." An icy, demanding voice said from off to his right.  
  
Jack turned to the voice, fire and hate flaring dangerously bright in his eyes. "Don't ye dare order me on me own ship."  
  
Bo'sun stepped closer to Grapple, Kohler, and Ana-Maria with a disgustingly evil grin. "Correction, this is our ship."  
  
Now the anger was growing so strong it was all Jack could do to stop himself from lunging at the ex-crew members and fighting for all he was worth. "Let 'er go!" Jack spat, fighting to control his anger.  
  
Bo'sun shook his head, not dropping the nasty little smile. "Give us the Black Pearl, and we'll let 'er go."  
  
Jack gritted his teeth. "Just let 'er go. Your quarrel o'er the Pearl is with ME, not my crew." In his peripheral vision, he saw Ana-Maria tense as the dagger moved ever so slightly closer to her neck.  
  
"That's where you're wrong, Sparrow." Bo'sun corrected.  
  
"If it weren't for your crew, we'd still 'ave the Pearl. They stole her from us during the battle." Twigg finished, stepping up.  
  
Jack suppressed an angry growl and replaced it with a fake smirk of satisfaction. "So, they stole 'er, huh? I'll 'ave t' complement them on their sneakiness . . ."  
  
Ana-Maria took her queue; Jack was buying her time while he spoke. She lifted up her right foot, then slammed it back down on the toe of Grapple's boot with all her strength.  
  
Grapple howled in pain, releasing her and the dagger at her neck as he proceeded to tend to his throbbing foot.  
  
Ana-Maria caught the dagger in her right hand as she stepped away from her ex-captor. She then stepped over and stood beside Jack, drawing her cutlass with her other hand.  
  
"Cute Sparrow, very cute. Trainin' yer wenches now, eh?" Grapple muttered, straightening up.  
  
Ana-Maria started to growl, but stopped when Jack's arm snaked out in front of her, silently ordering her to be quiet. She glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice. He was too preoccupied with what his ex-crew was up to.  
  
"Leave 'er outta this." Jack said coolly.  
  
Ana-Maria looked up at the opposing pirates, only to find the muzzle of a pistol aimed straight at her, the hammer down.  
  
"That was yer only warnin', mate." Jack cautioned, casually edging over so he was standing ever so slightly in front of Ana-Maria.  
  
Ana-Maria side-stepped a bit so that Jack wasn't fully in front of her. To her dismay, the pistol followed her movement, alerting Jack to her change in position.  
  
The resounding echo of the pistol going off shot across the deck of the Black Pearl, but-much to Ana-Maria's surprise-she felt no pain.  
  
She slowly opened her eyes, (she didn't even realize she had closed them in the first place,) and searched herself for any sigh of a bullet wound. Nothing.  
  
A soft thud in front of her reminded her that Jack had been in that general vicinity. She looked up and to her horror, she saw Jack slump over onto his side from his previous kneeling position, clutching at his chest.  
  
"Jack!" Ana-Maria exclaimed in shock, dropping to her knees beside his body. She placed a hand on his left shoulder and shook him just a little bit. "Jack?"  
  
Jack was completely unresponsive. Only the rising and falling of his side proved him to be alive.  
  
Hot tears of anger pricked the back of Ana-Maria's eyes, but she wouldn't allow them to fall-wouldn't let those jerks have the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She gritted her teeth and stood up, fury flaring in her eyes.  
  
Bo'sun jerked his head in the general direction of Jack's body and Grapple headed for the fallen captain.  
  
"Dump the body . . . s'of no value to us." Bo'sun ordered.  
  
"Leave him be!" Ana-Maria snapped, retrieving her cutlass from the deck.  
  
Grapple stopped, phased just a bit by the angry woman holding a sword. Bo'sun jerked his head again-this time in Ana-Maria's direction, but she was too preoccupied warning Grapple off to notice.  
  
She remained so focused on protecting Jack from the man in front of her that she didn't even notice that Kohler and Twigg were behind her until they seized her arms, took her cutlass, and tossed it well out of her reach. They then pinned her arms behind her back and held her tightly in place while Grapple picked up Jack's body and flung it over his shoulder carelessly.  
  
Ana-Maria stared at the puddle of blood where Jack's body had been just moments ago. Fear for Jack swept over her, and she tugged against her captors more.  
  
As Grapple passed the three on his way to the railing, Ana-Maria spat at his boots, receiving a sharp tug on the hair as reward for the gesture. She growled inwardly, struggling against her captors for all she was worth.  
  
Grapple stopped at the railing, then lifted the limp form off his shoulder and knocked it over the gunwale. Ana-Maria lunged forward as far as her restraints would let her, but to no avail. She watched the spot where Jack's body had been dumped numbly, desperately wanting to run to the edge and dive in after him. Her senses-as well as the knowledge of her current situation-flooded back in a huge wave, that sent her struggling, kicking, and biting even more ferociously than before.  
  
"Let me go you mutinous, slimy, bilge ra-" She was cut off as the hilt of a sword was brought down on the back of her head and darkness overcame her.  
  
~*END FLASHBACK*~  
  
Elizabeth and Will's jaws were hanging open in shock, while Bootstrap had his head bowed as if in prayer.  
  
Will recovered first. "So that's it? They killed Jack and took the Pearl?"  
  
Gibbs shook his head. "No lad, they left th' Pearl. They 'ad lost too many men an' we badly out-numbered them. They retreated, but not without leaving a permanent scar."  
  
Bootstrap nodded in understanding. "Jack was a good man . . . he deserved better'n that."  
  
"Aye." Gibbs and Ana-Maria muttered in accord, sadness weighing their voices down.  
  
An awkward silence dropped upon the group, seeming to sit upon their shoulders and enjoy the now-painful memories running through their heads.  
  
"Well." Gibbs said suddenly, standing up. "We best be gettin' back t' the Pearl."  
  
Ana-Maria nodded and stood as well. The two pirates turned to leave, when a soft voice stopped them.  
  
"Wait," 


	4. Chapter 4: Theories and Regrets

[a/n from AhiFlame: Ehehehehehe . . . sorry, but there's a lack of a certain someone in this chapter . . . more shall be explained at the end. The problem shall be dealt with as swiftly as possible.]  
  
Chapter 4 - Theories and Regrets  
  
Gibbs and Ana-Maria turned back around.  
"What is it lass?" Gibbs asked, looking older and more exhausted than ever before.  
"You didn't mention the splash." Elizabeth said, the comment directed at Ana-Maria.  
"What?" Ana-Maria asked, her tone implying the other woman had better get to the point right quick.  
"The splash-was there one?"  
"When was there supposed to be a splash?" Ana-Maria asked back.  
"When they dumped Jack's body-"  
Ana-Maria winced quite noticeably at the comment. "BLAST IT ALL!! Can't ye jus' leave things as they are?!" She screamed, turning and dashing out of the tavern, fighting tears the whole way.  
"What was that all about?" Will asked once the female pirate had left.  
"Loosin' Jack was hard on all of us-Ana's no exception. 'Fact, it were probably hardest on 'er." Gibbs answered solemnly.  
Bootstrap nodded in an understanding fashion, though the young couple were still looking quite clueless.  
"No use rubbin' salt int' the op'n wound, eh?" Bootstrap said quietly.  
"Aye. No use." Gibbs agreed, retrieving a flask from his vest and taking a long swig from it.  
  
~*~  
  
Ana-Maria dashed down the filthy streets, the sound of her boots connecting with the uneven cobblestones making a hollow echoing sound. Her progress was not slowed by other people, seeing as there were none on the streets. She hurriedly made her way towards the docks where the Black Pearl was moored. The sprint lasted not much more than ten minutes and by the time she reached the Pearl, she was out of breath.  
She stumbled up the gang plank amidships, not even acknowledging the crewman on guard when he waved a greeting. She continued across the deck, heading for the stairs leading to the cabins below deck. On her way there, she paused at a familiar sight: Jack's cabin.  
She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the firmly shut door. There was something definitely different about it; about the whole ship. When Jack had been aboard and in control of her, the ship had a more friendly, cheerful aura and even the darkest part of her had seemed welcoming. Now that Jack was absent, the ship was like it had been with Barbossa and his crew-dark; foreboding; dreary; bordering on evil . . . a ghost ship.  
Ana-Maria involuntarily shuddered. Things on the Pearl were taking a turn for the worse. She seemed to be returning to her ghost ship state now that her rightful commander was gone. No, not just gone-dead.  
A lump of fear and sadness formed in Ana-Maria's throat as she stared blankly at the closed cabin. As she watched it's unmoving form, the shadows around it seemed to grow deeper, blacker, engulfing the ship piece by piece . . .  
Dead.  
The word echoed in Ana-Maria's mind like the darkest curse. The truth began closing in on her at an alarming pace. Jack was dead; he wasn't coming back. She'd never see him again. A sinking feeling grew in the pit of her stomach, threatening to engulf her whole being.  
"Ma'am?"  
Ana-Maria literally jumped at the voice suddenly cutting through her thoughts. She looked over her shoulder at the intruder, only to find Duncan standing behind her, one hand on her shoulder.  
"You okay? you've been standin' there fer awhile."  
Ana-Maria nodded numbly, the sinking feeling subsiding. "I'm fine. G'night." She said, continuing to and down the stairs, leaving a slightly confused Duncan.  
She walked down a short corridor before arriving at the door of her cabin. She quickly opened it, stepped in, shut the door and locked it behind her. With a sigh, she walked across the room and dropped down onto her cot.  
'Why'd he 'ave t' do it?' She thought sadly to herself, putting her head in her hands. As much as she tried, she couldn't get the memories of Jack out of her mind. The most prominent of which, was her last encounter with him before they boarded the unmarked ship.  
  
~*FLASHBACK*~  
  
"All this waitin' is drivin' me mad!" Jack exclaimed, bored out of his mind.  
"And how is that changing anything?" Ana-Maria muttered, purposefully letting Jack overhear.  
Jack wheeled on his heel to face her. "Woman! When you've got a complaint, either voice it AWAY from me, or keep it t' yerself. Preferably the latter, savvy?!" Jack nearly screamed in her face.  
Ana-Maria gave a little snort and crossed her arms across her chest, looking away from the captain. "I'll say what I like, when I like." She retorted. "Savvy?" She added in a mocking tone.  
Jack then spun back to face the helm, infuriated.  
  
~*END FLASHBACK*~  
  
'And why'd the last time we talked 'ave to be a fight?' Ana-Maria silently asked herself. She felt absolutely terrible. She knew that her situation would probably haunt her forever; Jack had died thinking she hated him. 'I'll never forgive myself.'  
  
~*~  
  
"Now, what were ye gettin' at earlier, lass?" Gibbs asked, not wanting to be rude.  
"Ana-Maria didn't mention the splash that should have come when Jack's body hit the water." Elizabeth answered.  
"Aye, she didn't. But remember, she were in shock at that point . . . s'possible there were a splash, but she was too horrified t' 'ear it."  
Bootstrap shook his head.  
"Ye disagree?"  
"I 'aven't known Ana-Maria all that long, but I do know one thing: there's practically nothin' that can phase 'er." Bootstrap said.  
"Perhaps there was something that intercepted Jack when he was knocked over the railing? A rowboat?" Will interjected.  
Gibbs didn't look convinced at all. "Even if that were th' case, lad, 'e would've bled out not long aft; accordin' t' what Ana-Maria said- chest wounds bleed out fast."  
"But there is a chance that he could have survived the fall, right?" Elizabeth asked, getting back into the conversation.  
  
~*~  
  
A sharp knock on her cabin door roused Ana-Maria from her dreamless sleep the next morning. She moaned quietly, then rolled over onto her side and tried to blink away the fogginess sleep caused to one's vision.  
Another knock echoed through the cabin, making the pirate visibly wince.  
"Whaddya want?" Ana-Maria called out, still half asleep.  
"The crew's getting rambunctious waitin' fer orders," the voice paused, as if uncertain of the effect the next word would have. "Captain."  
Ana-Maria winced once again, the painful memories flooding back in a wave of lonesomeness. She missed Jack terribly-much more than she could- or, more specifically, would-ever let on. And now she was supposed to take his place as captain of the Black Pearl?! It was all too much for her to handle.  
"You give 'em orders, Gibbs." Ana-Maria snapped at the closed door.  
There was a pause.  
"Ye git it?! Ye're th' cap'n . . . not me!" Ana-Maria practically yelled, a lone tear running down her face.  
"Aye." Gibbs replied through the door. "But I expect ye on deck in the next quarter-hour, aye?"  
"Aye aye." Ana-Maria replied dully.  
There was a series of small thumping sounds as Gibbs headed back above deck. Ana-Maria groaned, then dragged herself off her cot and got dressed.  
  
~*~  
  
"Commodore, please." Will pleaded as he and Elizabeth trailed said officer around the fort.  
Norrington remained silent and continued on at his brisk pace, making his morning rounds. Elizabeth sped up to match his pace, then to get ahead of him and stop, blocking his path.  
"Please, you must help us." Elizabeth more demanded than pleaded.  
Norrington shook his head. "I'm sorry." He said, brushing past her.  
Elizabeth turned around and watched him retreat. "James, please."  
The Commodore stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry Miss Swann, but Sparrow is a pirate-not worth trifling over. If the story you've told me is true- which I don't doubt-Sparrow is most likely dead already."  
"You owe him this! He saved you and your men!" Will protested sharply, stepping up.  
Norrington spun on his heel, a sharp glint in his eye. "Mr. Turner, I owe that low-life nothing. As I've said before, one good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness."  
"But-"  
"And as for the two of you, stay put. Do not go chasing after pirates again." Norrington said quickly. "If you are charged with aiding pirates once more, there will be no saving you from the consequences."  
Elizabeth stepped up so she was mere inches from the Commodore and Will half expected her to slap him. "I was wrong. Jack's not the despicable one . . . you are." And with that, she turned and ran from the fort, leaving a baffled Commodore and an awkward-feeling Will.  
"Thank you for your time, Commodore. Good day." Will said, wanting to escape the uncomfortable situation as quickly as possible without making any enemies. He then turned and retreated after his fiancé.  
Norrington sighed audibly and continued on his rounds.  
  
~*~  
  
Will walked quickly out of the fort, and upon spotting Elizabeth, he strode even faster to catch up with her. "Elizabeth?"  
Elizabeth stopped at the sound of the familiar voice, but didn't turn to face Will. Will jogged over to her and stood in front of her. She was staring at the stones beneath her feet.  
"Elizabeth, what's wrong?"  
"That filthy backstabber." Elizabeth muttered.  
"Who? Jack?"  
Elizabeth shook her head. "The Commodore." She corrected.  
Will's expression changed from confusion to comprehension. "Elizabeth, you must understand . . . he's just doing his job. He can't help us track down Jack based on such an unlikely theory. Perhaps we should just accept the very strong likelihood that Jack is-"  
"No!" Elizabeth protested, looking up with a terrified expression and tears streaming down her face. "Will, we can't. We owe him too much."  
"I know. And we won't give up on him. All I'm saying is that the Commodore doesn't know Jack like we do. He still thinks of him as just a pirate." Will said, searching Elizabeth's eyes with his own.  
Elizabeth shakily nodded.  
Will smiled and wiped the tears from her face with his thumb. "Alright, now let's get to the ship."  
  
~*~  
  
Ana-Maria slowly emerged from below deck with about ten minutes of her allotted free time to spare. She spotted Gibbs talking with a crew member near the helm and headed for them.  
"Gibbs." Ana-Maria said as she approached. "What's the plan?"  
Gibbs looked up, breaking his previous conversation. "We're gonna stay in port fer awhile longer, but when we set sail, you'll be needed aloft."  
Ana-Maria nodded her acknowledgement of her duties-to-come. "What're we waitin' fer?"  
"We're gonna 'ave some company on this next voyage, an' we're just waitin' fer 'em t' arrive." Gibbs answered.  
Ana-Maria was about to push the subject further, when another voice interrupted.  
"Gibbs!"  
Ana-Maria and Gibbs looked to the source of the voice to find Bootstrap ascending the gang plank. Gibbs abandoned the helm and made for the main deck, Ana-Maria following closely.  
Once they were close enough to speak without shouting to one another, Gibbs spoke. "Did they 'ave any luck?"  
Bootstrap shook his head. "Nay, th' man's as straight-laced as them law abidin' citizens come."  
Gibbs nodded. "But they are comin', right?"  
"Aye. They'll be along in a bit." Bootstrap replied.  
"Gibbs, what is goin' on?!" Ana-Maria asked, getting slightly irked with being left out.  
Gibbs was about to answer, but was distracted once more as Will and Elizabeth climbed on board the ship. He rushed over to meet them amidships and then hustled them into a small cabin to the left of the vacant captain's cabin.  
Ana-Maria remained virtually alone on deck, save for the few crew members carrying out the dull and menial tasks involved with a ship sitting in port.  
  
[a/n from AhiFlame: GOMEN NASAI (I'M VERY SORRY) for the lack of Jack- ness. It's more or less my fault . . . more because I'm writing Jack's character and less because Nikki agreed with me on the layout of the plot line. ^^; *hides* Sorry about this whole thing . . . but I PROMISE that Jack will show up . . . just not sure exactly WHEN. In the meantime, please keep reading and reviewing (even if your definition of 'reviewing' is to scream at us for the lack of Jack-ness). XD] 


	5. Chapter 5: Curious Situations

Chapter 5  
  
"Gibbs, have you told Ana-Maria about our plan? She looked pretty clueless." Elizabeth asked once they were seated around the small table.  
"Nay. I 'aven't told 'er."  
"Don't you think you should?" Will questioned.  
Gibbs shook his head. "Don't see a point in raisin' 'er hopes. She'll just 'ave t' remain clueless until we know for sure whether 'e's alive or not."  
Will and Elizabeth didn't look quite convinced that this plan was the best course of action, but they had no choice but to go with it.  
"Alright, so where are we heading? You must have some idea of where Jack might be if he were alive." Will said, leaning forward on the table.  
"Well, the best course o' action at this point is t' search the islands near where 'e went down."  
  
~*~  
  
"We can't lose Sparrow." Kohler protested. "I 'ate 'im as much as the rest of you, but we need him."  
The others nodded.  
"But 'ow can we save 'im? None o' us know anythin' 'bout medicine." Grapple pointed out.  
The group members exchanged glances, then grins appeared simultaneously on their faces.  
  
~*~  
  
"Get in there, wench!" Twigg snapped, shoving a girl through the now- open door of a cell.  
The girl stumbled through the doorway, her long, braided blonde hair whipping behind her. She landed on her knees, but quickly composed herself enough to glare over her shoulder at the man who had treated her so roughly.  
"Everythin' ye'll need's right there." Twigg said, gesturing to a table sitting outside the cell with various wraps and medical bottles sitting atop it.  
The girl looked at the table, then turned back to look at Twigg with a very confused look. "For what? I'm not ill." She protested.  
However, before she could get an answer, Twigg was already heading for the stairs. "And don't try anything foolish. There're guards at the top of the stairs." He added before disappearing up the stairs.  
The girl slowly pulled herself to her feet, brushing out her skirts as she did so. She mumbled in an annoyed tone to herself as she finished dusting her skirts and looked around the brig.  
"Th' only way out's th' stairs, lass." A slurred, masculine voice muttered from the darkest corner of the cell.  
The girl jumped quite noticeably at the sound of the voice and whirled to face it, her skirts wrapping around her legs before righting themselves again. She squinted into the darkness and was just able to make out a figure lying slumped against the ship's inner hull. "Who are you? Who's there?" She asked, trying to mask the fear in her voice.  
"Who're you?" The man asked, his voice sounding very heavy.  
"Answer my question first." She said, trying to sound strong and demanding. "And get out of the shadows. If you want to know who I am, I want to be able to see your face first."  
There was a hollow sigh from the corner. "Love t' oblige, lass,"  
"But?"  
"But I can't seem t' get up from 'ere," the voice drawled heavily. "Savvy?"  
"And why not?" The girl asked indignantly. "Are you afraid to let me see your face?"  
There was another sigh. "Nay, not 'fraid. Just can't git up." The voice replied, the slur growing slightly heavier. "Now can we stop thi' lil' questions game?"  
"Fine. If you can't come into the light, I'll bring the light to you." The girl replied, stepping from the cell to fetch a lantern. She returned not a full moment later, lit lantern in hand.  
The figure shifted uncomfortably, then slowly and very shakily rose to his feet.  
The girl lifted the lantern up higher to better illuminate the corner without having to get too close. She gasped when the dim light showed her a man of medium height and age with long, dark hair. Various beads and other trinkets were strung in his hair and his eyes were outlined in black. He wore the regular attire of a sailor-loose white shirt, breeches, and a dirty red bandana around his head. He seemed somewhat unsteady on his feet as if he were drunk.  
This description fit only one man that she had heard of, and that man was a pirate. Her eyebrows came together in confusion mixed with concentration.  
"Jack Sparrow?" She asked, hoping she was wrong. Though the stories she had heard of the infamous pirate were entertaining, she didn't exactly fancy being stuck in a cell with him.  
"Captain, CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow." The man replied, rolling his eyes a bit.  
"Apologies Captain." The girl muttered, not quite sincerely. "But you claimed you could not stand."  
Jack shrugged. "Tha' were then, this is now." He slurred weakly. When he lost his balance merely from standing still, the girl began to wonder if he really was drunk.  
Then, she noticed what the shadows had been hiding from her: a large red stain was ever so slowly growing larger and darker on the right side of his shirt. "You're bleeding."  
"Very observant o' ye, lass." Jack drawled, trying to put a little humor behind his words.  
The girl looked over her shoulder at the table, then back at the pirate teetering in front of her. "Well, that explains a lot."  
Jack quirked an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to say something, but instead ended up coughing. He covered his mouth with his hand and when he withdrew it, it was lightly spattered with blood.  
The girl noticed, even though Jack tired to hide the blood. "You're not fit to be standing; sit back down."  
Jack curled his hand into a fist, then shook his index finger at her. "Now look 'ere, missy," he paused to cough and once again, blood coated his hand-this time more heavily. "Don't ye be," another cough, "orderin' me 'round." As he spoke the last words, they came out slower and more slurred than before. His stance swayed more before his knees slowly began to give out.  
The girl rushed forward just in time to prevent Jack from hitting his head on the iron bars. She secured his arms and kneeled down next to him, placing the lantern on the ground.  
"Lemme go . . . m'fine." Jack mumbled, trying to shake free of the young woman's grasp.  
"You'll not be getting up again soon, Captain Sparrow; not on my watch." The young woman snapped, tightening her grip slightly on his arms. Although his attempts to stand again were weak, she didn't want to risk him getting free and hurting himself more.  
Jack suddenly stopped struggling and sighed. "Y' win, luv."  
"Good." The girl replied, not quite trusting him, but slowly releasing his arms none the less. Much to her surprise, Jack didn't move to stand or even to push away from her. She stood up herself and walked over to the table outside the cell.  
A few moments later, she returned carrying a basin of water, some rags and a bottle of rum.  
Jack reached for the bottle of rum. "Thank ye very much, luv."  
The girl pulled the bottle out of his reach. "Not for drinking." She scolded, shoving his hand away.  
Jack closed his eyes tightly and grimaced. "'Fraid ye'd say tha' . . ."  
The girl smiled lightly, placing one of the cloths in the basin. Once the cloth was thoroughly soaked, she removed it and wrung out the excess water.  
  
~*~  
  
A sharp yelp of pain resonated through the brig.  
"Bloody-woman! What're ye tryin' t' do? Kill me?"  
"Sorry Captain Sparrow, but this has to be done." The girl replied, applying more rum to the cloth.  
Jack's shirt had long since been removed to allow the girl easy access the bullet wound in his chest. She brought the rum-soaked rag up once again and ever so lightly dabbed it on the wound, receiving a sharp his of pain from Jack.  
"Sorry."  
"Just finish it quick, lass." Jack growled through gritted teeth.  
A set of footsteps descended the brig stairs, and soon their owner came into view. The girl removed the cloth from the wound and turned to face the newcomer.  
"Done yet?" Twigg asked, walking to the open cell door.  
"Just have to put some salve on it and bandage it." The girl replied, setting aside the bottle of rum and rag.  
"Skip the salve and bandage it up quick. Captain's orders." Twigg snapped.  
The girl turned to Jack and arched an eyebrow, taking in his appearance.  
"S'alright lass." Jack whispered hoarsely.  
The girl turned back to Twigg. "Well, you may tell your captain that I'll not comply. In order for his wound to heal properly, the salve must be applied-"  
"Captain don't care if 'e 'eals 'properly'." Twigg said, cutting her off. "Just wants 'im t' live long enough t' die. You've got five more minutes; best hurry." And with that, he headed back up on deck.  
The girl turned to Jack with a questioning glance. "What did he mean by that?"  
"By wha'?"  
"'To live long enough to die'-what did he mean by that?"  
Jack sighed, looking more tired than he had just a few moments ago. "S'nothing fer ye t' trouble yerself o'er." He answered heavily, his voice carrying a sense of doom. Then, just as quickly as it had left, his energy returned somewhat. "Now c'mon, best git me patched up quickly or you'll be payin' the consequences."  
  
~*~  
  
The Pearl made her way through the warm, crystalline waters of the Caribbean at full sail. Her crew scuttled about on deck and in the rigging, making sure she was in perfect working order and going as fast as possible.  
Ana-Maria was among those in the rigging. She skillfully wove her way through the mazes of ropes, canvas, wood, and tackles. She climbed through the lines and made her way to the yard. Grabbing a guide rope in one hand, she proceeded to make her way to the outer end of the arm.  
She arrived at her destination with no problem and set about straightening some of the lines that the wind had managed to tangle together. A few moments later, the lines were free and Ana-Maria stood once again, intending to return to the deck now that her task was completed.  
She picked up the guide rope once more and turned to face the main topmast. She then slowly started to make her way across the narrow spit of wood that was the yardarm. When she was about halfway across, a strong wind came up suddenly, hitting her with such a force that she lost her balance. She tried to rebalance herself once the wind had passed, but to no avail.  
With a small squeak of defeat, she slipped off the yard and plummeted towards the deck far below. She stopped short from the guide rope going taut, which she clung onto for dear life-literally.  
  
[a/n from AhiFlame: Sorry if some of the scene with Jack and the girl was outta whack . . . ye can blame me for that, but if you have any suggestions on how to fix up those kinda scenes, they'd be much appreciated. Oh, and now onto the REALLY important part of this author's note:  
  
Who all agrees that Zoe Saldana was an EXCELLENT Ana-Maria? Raise your hand. *looks around* Well, since I can't actually SEE your hands raised, you can prove that she was awesome in the first movie and needs to be in the second movie by signing the petition to get her back at:  
  
http : // industriousqueen . com / pirates / petition . htm (Just take out all the spaces in between.)  
  
So yes, go sign and expect the next chapter sometime in the future (hopefully the NEAR future . . .)] 


	6. Chapter 6: That's in the Past

[a/n from AhiFlame: Wow . . . this has gotta be a record! Two chapters in two days! Amazing for us to do . . . simply amazing. And jackfan2, I expect to see your post ASAP, savvy? *menacing look*]  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Ana-Maria fought against the strong winds aloft for her life, clamping both hands tightly around the guide rope. She hung there for what seemed like an eternity, until her arms began to shake with the exertion of holding her body weight up.  
She slowly collected all of her strength and shifted one hand up ever so slightly higher on the rope. Gritting her teeth in stubborn concentration, she slowly ascended the rope, inching her way closer to the yard from which she had fallen.  
  
~*~  
  
Jack grimaced quite noticeably in pain as the girl tightened the bandages around his torso to help stop the bleeding. He bit down on his lips to prevent himself from yelping in pain again. Rather to his dismay, the girl noticed.  
"Sorry."  
"S'alright." Jack muttered, taking a deep breath. There was a slight pause of silence as the girl finished tying up the bandage. "What's yer name anyway, lass?"  
"Chelsea." The girl replied quietly. She looked about to say something more, but was interrupted as Twigg appeared at the cell door, accompanied by Grapple.  
"Time's up." Grapple growled.  
The girl slowly rose to her feet, glancing back somewhat worriedly at Jack. She then looked back at the grubby pirates standing before her. "Don't you have better living accommodations on this ship for him?"  
Twigg and Grapple just laughed at the question.  
"What's so funny?" Chelsea demanded.  
The pirates didn't answer. Instead, Grapple grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the cell. Twigg followed, closing and locking the cell door behind them.  
Jack watched them leave with tired eyes. Chelsea struggled slightly against the uncomfortably tight grip on her arm, but of course made no actual progress in getting released. Once they were out of sight and he couldn't hear their footsteps anymore, he sighed hollowly to himself and leaned back against the inner hull. He knew his fate all too well; what he didn't know is when it would be employed . . .  
  
~*~  
  
Ana-Maria reached the lines leading down to the deck and sighed to herself, glad she had gotten out of the predicament not too worse for the wear. True, her arms felt like they were on fire, but aside from that, she was okay. She glanced down at those standing on the deck below, and was disappointed to see that they were all clustered in one group, looking up at her. She growled angrily to herself.  
"What're ye lookin' at?!" She yelled down to the group. "I didn't fall, so git back t' work!" She spat.  
Not a moment later, the group dispersed back to their tasks, leaving only four left looking at her. She sighed agitatedly, then began to make her way down to the deck.  
The second her feet connected with the deck, Will and Elizabeth rushed forward, incessantly asking if she was okay. Bootstrap stood further back, inquiring the same thing through the look on his face.  
"'m fine . . . FINE!" Ana-Maria snapped, pushing away from them and heading towards nowhere in particular.  
"Ana-Maria." Gibbs called.  
Ana-Maria stopped dead in her tracks. "What is it, Gibbs?" She asked, fighting to keep her voice level and neutral.  
"Ye best leave. I'll take care 'o this." Gibbs whispered to the other three, who reluctantly nodded and walked off.  
Gibbs stepped up behind Ana-Maria and placed a hand on her shoulder, which was quickly shaken off. "What happened up there, lass?"  
"Th' wind came up." Ana-Maria muttered, anger slipping into her voice without her wanting it to.  
"That all?"  
Ana-Maria nodded slightly.  
"You miss 'im, don't ya?"  
Ana-Maria's head shot up and she looked at Gibbs with a questioning gaze. However, she quickly masked the question with indifference. "We all do." She answered simply.  
Gibbs nodded. "Alright then." He said, starting to walk off.  
"Gibbs!"  
He stopped and turned back to face her. "Yes?"  
"One question."  
Gibbs nodded and walked back over to her.  
"Does the Pearl seem . . . um . . . different to you?" She asked, not quite sure how to put her question into words.  
Gibbs thought silently for a moment before answering. "Nay."  
"Oh." Ana-Maria said simply. She was beginning to question whether she was loosing her mind or if she really was the only one who could tell the difference in the ship. She really could have sworn that a more dreary side of the ship was making its appearance . . .  
Gibb's voice jolted her from her thoughts, but she didn't hear exactly what he had said. "What?"  
"I asked if it seemed different t' ye." Gibbs repeated.  
"Nay." Ana-Maria said quickly, not wanting to sound superstitious.  
Gibbs nodded and proceeded back to the helm.  
  
~*~  
  
"Captain Sparrow?" A soft voice asked, breaking through the darkness.  
Jack's eyebrows twitched a bit in irritation-he was already suffering from his wounds and would have preferred to sleep longer. With a silent sigh, he opened his eyes slowly, only to find Chelsea standing outside his cell and looking in at him with a somewhat nervous and worried expression. Jack noticed that the lantern had already burned out, making him wonder how long he had been asleep.  
"I've brought you some food." Chelsea said when she saw his figure shift in the darkness.  
"Thanks very much, luv." Jack drawled tiredly.  
"I'd rather prefer you not call me 'luv'." Chelsea said quickly.  
Jack nodded. "Alright, since ye 'elped me, we 'ave an accord."  
Chelsea allowed herself a small smile. She then pulled a ring of keys from the sash around her waist and went about unlocking the cell door. After the lock had clicked open, she maneuvered the door open, while balancing a small tray of food with her other hand. Jack shifted as if her were about to stand, but Chelsea stopped him with her words.  
"No, no. Don't get up. I'll bring it to you." She said quickly, walking into the cell, holding the tray. She walked over and then kneeled in front of Jack, offering him the tray.  
"Thank you." Jack muttered sincerely, accepting the proffered tray and examining its contents. A few hard biscuits, some small pieces of meat- most likely salted pork, and a mug of grog.  
"Sorry that it's not much-"  
"S'fine, lass. Couldn't 'ope fer better." Jack said quickly, a heavy slur still accenting his voice.  
Chelsea rocked back on her heels, spreading her skirts out neatly around her.  
Jack picked up one of the biscuits and was about to take a bite, when another thought crossed his mind. He looked up at Chelsea. "Y'know, yer're not required t' stay 'ere. Ye can go back t' yer nice cabin . . . s'probably better'n gettin' in wit' th' likes o' me."  
Chelsea shook her head earnestly. "No. I'd rather stay down here with you-seems you're the only trustworthy man on this whole ship."  
Jack took a bite of the biscuit and thought silently for a moment. After swallowing, he spoke. "So, 'ow'd ye wind up on thi' ship wit' this lot? Surely not by choice?"  
Chelsea shook her head again. "No. I was sailing with my parents on a merchant vessel bound for England. My father had a mind to start a new business there, so he took my mother and I with him. In the middle of our crossing, an unmarked vessel came up behind us. Since it was flying friendly colors, naturally our captain thought nothing of it . . . that is, until the ship came up alongside and fired her guns at us. She dropped the British colors and hoisted a black flag. I must admit, when they boarded, I was more terrified than ever before."  
Jack nodded, still eating and listening intently to her tale.  
"They boarded and started plundering our cargo-mostly silks and the such. Then, before they left, rounded up the crew and . . ." Here she paused, choking a bit on the words. "Slaughtered them in cold blood. They hadn't even tried to stop them, and yet they were killed all the same. The pirates took me with them, hoping to sell me to someone-most likely a brothel." At this point, tears were welling dangerously high in Chelsea's eyes.  
"And yer parents?" Jack asked carefully, figuring he already knew the answer.  
"Dead. Murdered with the crew."  
Jack nodded solemnly. "'m sorry, lass."  
"So am I." Chelsea said sadly. Then, her mood seemed to lighten. "However, that's in the past. What's important now is to figure out how to escape from this vessel-how are you feeling?" She asked, changing her own subject instantaneously.  
Jack sighed. "Tired." He answered truthfully, placing the tray on the floor.  
Chelsea glanced down at the tray and was pleasantly surprised to see that most everything had been eaten. All that remained was a few pieces of meat and crumbs of bread; but not a drop of grog. "Well, that's to be expected, what with that bullet wound and all." She said with a half smile, collecting the tray. "I'll leave you to rest then." She said as she stood.  
"Much obliged." Jack mumbled, already half asleep.  
Chelsea turned and quietly left the cell, then continued up to the deck. 


	7. Chapter 7: Painful Changes

[a/n from AhiFlame: Well, now I FINALLY got this finished and typed. I would like to thank the teachers of mine that lecture on nothing and give me time to write . . .]  
  
Chapter 7  
  
As soon as Chelsea was out of sight and hearing, Jack dragged himself to his feet and stumbled to the open cell door. He pulled the door towards him, closing it. Once the door was firmly shut and could pass as locked by the look of it, Jack slowly plodded back to his corner and plopped himself down on the damp floor. With a shallow sigh, he leaned back against the rough inner hull and closed his eyes.  
  
~*~  
  
Chelsea wandered calmly across the main deck of the ship. She had long since gotten used to the smell and the deck crowded with cutthroats. She also knew that she was relatively safe-for the moment.  
She soon came upon Twigg and Kohler, who were sitting with their backs up against the mainmast. Between them they held a thick length of rope about eight feet long. Three feet of the rope they were wrapping in cloth and fastening with leather ties, while the remaining five feet was unraveled into nine smaller strands. Each of the ends of the thinner lengths were knotted tightly.  
Chelsea stopped and looked down at the two, curious as to what they were making.  
Kohler pulled a small corked bottle from his jacket pocket, then uncorked it and handed the vial to Twigg. As Kohler held the nine tips away from them, Twigg turned the vial horizontal and tapped it until a few spurts of white powder dropped out and landed on the knotted tips.  
Twigg glanced up, noticing her shadow from the setting sun. "Git along. S'nothin' o' your concern."  
Chelsea reluctantly obeyed and continued on towards her cabin.  
  
~*~  
  
The sharp clicking sounds of a key being twisted in a lock chased Jack from his rather empty sleep. He silently cursed whoever it was without opening his eyes.  
Before he could react to the sound of the door opening, rough hands grabbed him by the shirtfront and dragged him to his feet. Jack's eyes snapped open instantly, even as he struggled to gain his footing. When he found himself looking into Grapple's sneering face, he suddenly stopped struggling. His blood turned to ice in his veins and his heart sank to his stomach.  
  
~*~  
  
"Ana-Maria?"  
"Whaddya want?" Ana-Maria growled tiredly from under her pillow.  
"T' talk."  
"Just make it quick, Bootstrap." Ana-Maria mumbled, knowing he wouldn't give up anytime soon.  
The door opened and Bootstrap walked in calmly, taking a seat at the small table in the room. He then gestured that Ana-Maria take the other seat. Instead, she sat grudgingly on her bed, but paid attention none the less.  
"Why did you give the place of captain to Gibbs?" Bootstrap asked bluntly-his usual fashion.  
Ana-Maria was silent. Her expression made it pretty clear she didn't like where the conversation was going already.  
"You miss Jack and would feel guilty captaining his ship?"  
When Ana-Maria winced at Jack's name, he knew he'd struck home.  
"Ana, you always knew that you may have to captain the Pearl sometime . . . and that sometime is now."  
Ana-Maria glared at him, her eyes glistening. "Nay, Gibbs can 'andle th' men better'n I."  
"Even if tha' were true-which it's not-Jack told me on many an occasion that if anything were t' happen t' 'im, you were t' take command o' this 'ere ship."  
Ana-Maria's eyes widened in shock; clearly this was the first she had heard of it.  
  
~*~  
  
"Tell us where to find our ship." Kohler snapped.  
Jack smiled wickedly. "Don't ya know mates? We're standin' in her brig at the moment."  
Bo'sun drew his sword angrily. "Tell us where our ship is."  
"I'm assuming you're not talkin' about this ship, then?"  
"No. Where's the ship you stole from us?" Bo'sun demanded, moving his blade towards Jack throat. "The Black Pearl."  
Jack opened his mouth to say something, then changed his mind and closed his mouth again. He shifted his jaw in thought, casting his gaze down to the floor. "Nah, don't think I will." Jack said, still leading them on.  
Bo'sun thrust his blade forward, intending to hit Jack's gut, but Jack quickly sidestepped. However, Grapple stopped his rightward progress and so the blade sliced Jack's left side, blood filling the fresh wound.  
Jack grimaced in pain and sank between the two holding his arms. He tried to reach for his side, but the bindings on his hands wouldn't allow him. The two other pirates soon tired of holding him up and dropped him to the floor.  
"You can keep doing this forever; I'm never going to tell." Jack muttered, pain strong in his voice.  
"We'll see about that. Hang 'im up." Bo'sun ordered coldly, taking a cat-o-nine tails off his belt.  
Grapple and Kohler moved in to follow their orders, but when they grabbed Jack's arms in an attempt to drag him to his feet, they had little success.  
"Git up, Sparrow!" Kohler snapped, kicking the captain in the stomach.  
Jack slumped forward, hissing in pain. The distraction allowed the other two pirates to drag him to his feet without a struggle. They lifted his bound hands above his head and attached them to a hanging hook. The hook was placed up so high that the two had to lift Jack off the ground to secure his hands and when they stepped back, he was hanging about half a foot off the ground.  
"Comfortable?" Grapple asked with a sarcastic sneer.  
Bo'sun and Kohler smiled viciously at Jack, who was still recovering from the kick to the gut and the cut in his side.  
"Oh . . . immensely." Jack retorted, managing a slight grin. He still hadn't fully recovered from the kick, whereas his side was beginning to go numb.  
Bo'sun's smile fell into a frown. "Yer daft Sparrow."  
"I've many times been told so."  
"Don't know what's fer yer own good." Grapple put in.  
Bo'sun let the interruption pass. "Tell us where the Black Pearl is." He ordered.  
Jack stared blankly at the three former crewmen. "Why ask me?"  
Their expressions grew angrier and more annoyed by this little ploy.  
"Where is it?" Bo'sun asked again, his voice backed by sheer anger. He let the tips of the cat-o-nine tails drop to the floor, faint thumps echoing up as each tip touched the ground.  
"Why should I know?" Jack asked, grinning stupidly.  
A echoing crack shot through the previously still brig.  
Jack's face was turned so his chin was almost touching his left shoulder. Nine gouges marked from his right temple to the base of his neck where the whip's tips had touched his flesh. Blood soon began trickling from the wounds.  
"Feeling more talkative now, Sparrow?" Kohler asked coldly.  
Jack turned his head back to face his main tormentor. To the three pirates' surprise, that stupid, characteristic grin reasserted itself on Jack's face.  
"Nay." Jack said calmly, grinning more widely despite the pain flaring in his cheek.  
Bo'sun circled to get behind Jack, who didn't even bother looking behind him, for he had a feeling he knew what was coming next.  
Sure enough, a few moments later another sharp crack echoed through the brig. Jack flinched violently from the pain the nine lashes across his back caused. Not to mention the blood loss.  
Another crack followed soon after and more blood was spilled.  
  
~*~  
  
"Gibbs!" Ana-Maria screamed, stomping up behind the man.  
Gibbs reluctantly turned to face them obviously irked female pirate. "Wha' lass?"  
"Rumors is goin' 'round th' crew tha' we're goin' back t' where we met up wit' tha' unmarked ship. Tell me right now if there's any truth t' 'em."  
Gibbs cast his gaze down to the wooden planks, finding he could no longer look her in the eye.  
"Well?" Ana-Maria demanded, placing her hands on her hips.  
Gibbs sighed in a defeated manner, knowing that if he didn't tell her, she'd likely disband at the next port. "Yes, they're all true; we're goin' back."  
"Why?! There's 'nough sore memories there an' no treasure t' go back fer!" Ana-Maria raged.  
"I beg t' differ."  
"Well tha's too bad!" Ana-Maria exclaimed. "Bootstrap told me of Jack's wishes." She added more quietly before returning to her loud tone. "I'm cap'n o' this 'ere ship. We'll change course 'n head back t' Tortuga!"  
"I'll not argue wit' cap'n's orders . . ." Gibbs began. "But there might be somethin' worth goin' back fer."  
"And what would that be?" Ana-Maria asked, forcing herself to keep her voice level.  
"Jack."  
Ana-Maria's eyes widened and her jaw fell slack.  
  
[a/n: Please review.] 


	8. Chapter 8: Sail Ho!

[a/n: Yea, um, this was kinda interesting to write. Hope you all can tolerate it at the very least. And sorry about the Jack-torture that's been going on.]  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Bo'sun raised the whip for another strike, but was stopped by an hand on his arm and a watch call above deck, sounding the hour.  
"No. Any more lashings would risk killing him and he's the only connection we have to the Pearl. We can finish tomorrow." Kohler reasoned.  
Jack was still hanging from his hands with sweat and blood trickling down his face and soaking into his shirt. His breath was coming in short, shallow gasps. Bo'sun slowly agreed, coiling the whip up and reattaching it to his belt. The three then left the brig without bothering to take Jack down from the hook.  
Jack exhaled more fully when they were gone, but a small pool of blood-his blood-remained beneath him. Darkness rimmed his vision, but he fought it for all he was worth. He needed this time to strategize; to plot his escape. His eyes drooped shut as he tried to steady his breathing.  
  
~*~  
  
"Ana-Maria?" Gibbs asked, worriedly taking in her blank expression and trying to interpret it.  
Something seemed to click in the female pirate. "Lengthen the ship; stem t' stern!" She yelled, jogging up the stairs towards the helm.  
Gibbs followed the newly re-appointed captain up to the quarterdeck. The crew's collective gaze followed them as the individuals stopped their odd jobs.  
"You heard th' cap'n!" Gibbs yelled down to the crewmen. "Git t' work!"  
The crew quickly scampered back to their appointed tasks, many going aloft to let out the sails.  
  
~*~  
  
"Captain Sparrow," Chelsea called, descending into the dark brig, brandishing a tray of food.  
No answer; not even a shift.  
"I've brought you some breakfast . . ." She added, trying to get a reaction.  
None came.  
Getting slightly worried, Chelsea inched forward and peered into the darkness. The lack of light made seeing anything-even silhouettes- difficult, so she quickly set about finding a lantern. Once lit, she set it on the table and turned around.  
What she saw made her gasp in horror. Jack was hanging by bindings on his wrists a half foot off the ground with blood soaking his clothing. There were multiple cuts and tears in his shirt where fresh whip lashes and knife cuts were still oozing blood.  
"Jack!" She exclaimed, overcoming her initial shock as quickly as possible and heading towards him. "What happened? Jack??" She asked, almost pleadingly.  
The pirate still didn't respond, which sent a chill of fear down Chelsea's spine. She slowly walked over to stand by his right side. She timidly looked him up and down, assessing the damage. Nine whip bites made themselves noticed on the right side of his face and neck. She began circling him, only to find multiple strikes across his back made by a nine- tipped whip. Coming on his left side, she found a deep gouge from a sword's blade. When she stood in front of him, she noticed his eyes were closed, his head drooping and his breathing extremely shallow. His lip was also split and bleeding.  
"Jack?" She asked once more, timidly placing a hand on his left shoulder-one of the few places on his shirt that wasn't soaked in blood. How many more family members and friends did she have to lose?  
A quiet mumble dragged her from her depressing thoughts and made her focus on the situation at hand.  
"What?" She asked, snapping out of her reverie.  
"Git 'tta 'ere." Jack mumbled weakly.  
"Why? You need help!" Chelsea protested. "What happened, anyway?!"  
Jack slowly lifted his head to look at her while they conversed. "Nothin' fer yer ears t' 'ear." He choked out, coughing up a bit of blood.  
"I'm plenty old enough. I've ten and six years." Chelsea retorted stubbornly.  
Jack shook his head, forcing a small smile despite his injuries. "'f ye were ol' 'nough . . ." He trailed off and broke into a fit of coughing. "Ye'd've guessed by now." He finished, his voice extremely hoarse and weak. Breathing seemed to come harder for him now and he looked even more exhausted. His eyes slowly fell shut once more, which caused the fear to reassert itself in Chelsea.  
"Captain Sparrow? Are you okay?"  
"Does 'e look okay?" A colder voice countered.  
Chelsea spun to face the voice and gasped lightly when her gaze fell upon Bo'sun, Grapple, and Kohler. Bo'sun held a bloody nine-tipped whip coiled in one hand.  
"You did this to him?!" Chelsea exclaimed in horror.  
Bo'sun nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.  
Chelsea's jaw dropped in horror. Her shock, however, was soon replaced by rage. "How could you?! What has he ever done to you?!"  
Bo'sun turned to Kohler and, jerking his head in Chelsea's direction, he grunted and order. Kohler nodded and headed for Chelsea. He quickly grabbed her arms and escorted her, none too gently, to the cell that once belonged to Jack. After tossing her in and locking the door, he rejoined his shipmates.  
"Sparrow."  
Jack's eyes fluttered halfway open at the sound of his name. "Aye?" He asked, his voice barely loud enough to be heard.  
"Tell us where the Pearl is and we'll let ye go." Kohler said.  
"Nay." Jack replied instantly.  
Bo'sun allowed the tips of the cat-o-nine-tails drop to the brig floor threateningly.  
"What are you doing?!" Chelsea's voice demanded nervously form the cell she was imprisoned in.  
"Quiet, wench." Grapple growled, effectively silencing the girl.  
"Leave 'er 'tta thi'." Jack slurred weakly, gasping with each word.  
"Quiet!" Bo'sun snapped, slashing the whip and doubling the cuts on the right side of Jack's face.  
Chelsea put a hand to her mouth and gasped as Jack's head snapped away from the whip's strike and blood trickled from the fresh and reopened wounds. Jack's breath was coming in even shorter gasps than before and he looked on the verge of passing out.  
"Stop it! He doesn't deserve this!" Chelsea yelled, gripping the cell bars tightly.  
"QUIET!" Bo'sun yelled back, flinging the whip in Chelsea's direction.  
Chelsea backed away from the bars just as the blood-coated tips struck the metal. Even though she managed to avoid the lash, blood from the tips flew in, spattering her skin and clothes. She didn't seem to notice the blood as Bo'sun stepped towards Jack once more, brandishing the whip.  
  
~*~  
  
"Sail ho!" The sentry called down from the crow's nest.  
Ana-Maria's gaze shot up to scan the horizon at the call.  
"There." Will said, pointing to a dark spot on the horizon.  
Ana-Maria followed Will's indication and quickly saw the vessel. She grabbed the spyglass from the young blacksmith and aimed it at the ship. A few moments later, she lowered the instrument.  
"Is it them?" Will asked.  
Ana-Maria's eyes narrowed at the ship on the horizon. "Aye." She growled. "Let the sails run free! Load the guns! Run out the sweeps!" She screamed, shoving the spyglass back at the blacksmith and setting the Pearl on a course for the unmarked vessel.  
  
~*~  
  
Jack's body convulsed as the cat dug nine more deep gouges in his back, drawing more blood and sending jolts of seething pain throughout his entire body. As the tips withdrew, he slumped forward as much as the bindings would allow, spots clouding his already fuzzy vision. He coughed weakly, blood flying from his mouth and adding to that already on the ground.  
"That's enough!" Chelsea screamed once more, on the verge of tears.  
"Silence!"  
"Sail ho!"  
The three torturers looked up the stairs of the brig at the call.  
"This'll 'ave t' wait."  
Kohler and Grapple nodded as Bo'sun coiled the whip and the three stormed upstairs. Jack kept his head up until he heard the three new sets of footsteps above deck. Once he knew his three tormentors were gone, he gave into the darkness, his body falling limp, suspended by the ropes.  
  
[a/n: Please review.] 


	9. Chapter 9: To Save a Friend

[a/n: Sorry for the delay. And now, onto the chappy!]  
  
Chapter 9  
  
The Black Pearl pulled up rapidly alongside the chase, both ships at full-sail.  
"Elizabeth, get below! I'll not have you participating in another of these fights!" Will snapped, shoving a boarding ax into his belt.  
Before Elizabeth could protest, one of the crewmen grabbed her wrist and quickly escorted her below decks.  
The Pearl let off a broadside volley, tearing a few holes in the other ship's hull, but not causing her to take on water. The unmarked ship returned the volley. However, having a few more guns than the Pearl, she punched a few more holes. Both ships were now slightly damaged, but neither taking on water.  
"Prepare to board!" Came the shout from commanders on both of the ships.  
The command was met with energy as both sides began tossing grappling hooks, which caught on the rails and rigging of both ships. Pirates began swinging from one ship to the other, cutlasses, pistols, and boarding axes at the ready.  
Ana-Maria and Bootstrap were among the first to board the unmarked vessel and promptly fired their pistols, taking down a man each. Will and Gibbs landed a few moments later and discharged their firearms. All four promptly drew their cutlasses and engaged themselves in the fray.  
"Lass, go find Jack!" Gibbs called. "Bootstrap, Will, go with 'er!"  
The three nodded, and, finishing off their opponents, they dashed for the stairs.  
Just as the three were about to descend the stairs, a tall figure stepped in their way, effectively cutting off their route.  
"Bo'sun." Bootstrap growled, his grip on the cutlass tightening.  
Bo'sun raised his own cutlass and began slashing at the group without preamble. The two men jumped back to avoid getting their midsections sliced by the blade's arc.  
Ana-Maria used her cutlass to stop Bo'sun's blade, putting some of her weight behind the maneuver for it to be effective. "Go!" She snapped at Will and Bootstrap, ducking a swinging blade.  
The two waited only a moment before dashing below decks, leaving Ana- Maria to cope with her opponent.  
  
~*~  
  
The resounding sounds of footsteps and fighting above deck echoed through the brig, but Jack's mind was too listless from pain and fatigue to register them fully. He had been hanging from that hook by the binds on his hands for about two full days now. Give or take. It was rather difficult to keep track of time while imprisoned in the dark brig. And quite frankly, Jack had given up caring.  
"Jack? Jack, please wake up . . ." Chelsea begged.  
When she got no response from the pirate, she turned her back on him, not wanting to see all the blood any longer. A few moments later, a thought dawned on her. She reached into her sash and withdrew the cell key.  
The quickly descending thumps of footsteps resonated across the brig, reaching Jack's inattentive ears. Not long after, the owners of the footsteps rounded the brig's corner and stopped dead in their tracks as a basin flew their way, narrowly missing their heads.  
"Leave him be or you die!" An unfamiliar female voice snapped, shaking a bit with barely suppressed fear.  
The two men scanned the dimly lit room for any signs of life. Their gazes first fell on the girl who was struggling to hold a cutlass upright; however she had to use both hands to get it even halfway up. Her arms were trembling with exertion, but her facial expression showed that she meant business.  
  
~*~  
  
Ana-Maria and Bo'sun exchanged and parried blows. Both had drawn blood since the start of their not-too-friendly bout, but Bo'sun had the lead in hits. Parrying another blow, Ana-Maria decided to change tactics, knowing she couldn't keep up her line of defense much longer.  
When the next swing came, she jumped to the side and the blade drove itself into the deck, throwing a few small splinters.  
Bo'sun effortlessly removed the blade from the wood and lifted it for another strike.  
Ana-Maria took her chance to make another score, this time cutting the man's upper arm. Had she gotten the other arm, she may have been able to falter his grip.  
Bo'sun growled a bit and swung the sword out at her, forcing her to back towards the stairs. She backed, dodging and occasionally parrying the blows that came her way, but never realizing how close to the quarterdeck stairs she was getting.  
Bo'sun slashed his sword out in a wide arc and Ana-Maria had to jump back quite a bit to avoid getting sliced in half. When her feet attempted to reconnect with the deck, they landed on an uneven plain, causing her to fall back.  
She landed hard on her back on the stairs, the edges of the steps digging into her skin. She instinctively brought her blade up in defense and her whole body tensed, expecting another attack.  
  
~*~  
  
The thuds from above deck had quieted down quite a bit and it almost sounded as if the battle were ending . . . that, or it had moved to the Pearl.  
That's when Bootstrap and Will heard it: the shallow, rasping breaths coming from a figure hanging not too far ahead. They stepped towards the sound, only to be met by the tip of the cutlass in the girl's hands.  
"Back away." The girl growled, her arms shaking more so than before, but her voice full of conviction. "I won't let you hurt him anymore—he doesn't deserve it."  
"Hurt him?" Will repeated in confusion.  
"Lass, what're ye talkin' 'bout?" Bootstrap asked.  
The girl's face contorted in confusion. "Can't you see?! Look at what you're crew has done to him!"  
"We're not part o' this ship's crew." Bootstrap stated firmly, Will shaking his head in agreement.  
The girl slowly lowered the cutlass. "You're not? But you're pirates . . ."  
"So is he." Will said, pointing at Jack, who still had not reacted to the voices.  
"I know that. Who doesn't know Jack Sparrow?" The girl said this last part, glancing over at said pirate and noting that he hadn't moved to correct her as she had expected.  
"Yer're not 'elpin', lad." Bootstrap said under his breath. "Yea we're pirates, but we're 'is friends."  
"We need to get him back to his ship." Will added, nervous anxiety entering his voice as he noticed just how much blood the pirate had really lost.  
  
[a/n: Please review.] 


	10. Chapter 10: Unexpected Assistance

Chapter 10  
  
"Wha's your name?" Bootstrap questioned the girl as Will went about trying to figure the best way to get Jack down without further injuring the pirate captain.  
"Chelsea." The girl replied, her voice proving that she was still uncomfortable around the two new arrivals.  
Bootstrap looked over his shoulder at his son, who was timidly circling the pirate captain and holding a knife he seemed about to drop.  
"Oh fer goodness sake, Will." Bootstrap grumbled, walking over and snatching the knife from his son's hand. He then reached up and put the knife's blade to the rope bindings. "Will,"  
"Yes?"  
"Get ready to catch." Bootstrap said briefly before beginning to saw through the rope bindings holding the pirate captain up.  
"Are you sure this is such a wise-"  
Will didn't get a chance to finish as the ropes snapped, dropping the pirate from the hook and onto Will, who was unprepared and collapsed under the weight.  
"Dang it Will! I told ye t' be ready t' catch 'im!"  
"You try catching a bleeding, half-dead pirate sometime!" Will retorted.  
  


* * *

  
"Wench, you'll be 'appy t' know you'll be joinin' yer cap'n." Bo'sun growled, raising his sword to deliver the final strike.  
Before he was able to bring the blade down on her head, a shot rang across the bow of the unmarked ship, causing all on deck to freeze and look to the Pearl. Nothing. No smoke from any of her guns was visible.  
"Sail ho!"  
The shout caused everyone to look to the other side of the ship, only to find a large man-o-war approaching.  
Ana-Maria took this moment of distraction as her chance to slip away from the larger pirate and disappear into the crowd. She would either save this fight for a later time, or let this new ship take care of it.  
  


* * *

  
"There any drinkable water down 'ere?" Bootstrap questioned, grabbing one of the pirate's limp arms and assisting Will in holding him up.  
Chelsea nodded and retrieved the glass from the tray she had brought down awhile ago. Bootstrap shifted his share of the pirate captain's weight and threw the limp arm over his shoulder, taking the cup with his newly freed hand.  
"Jack, ye awake?" Bootstrap asked shaking the man's shoulder slightly.  
A small moan was the only response.  
"Jack, we're gonna take ye back t' the Pearl, but first ye gotta drink some o' this."  
The pirate's eyes opened ever so slightly and he swallowed dryly.  
"Can ye do tha', Jack?"  
"Aye," was the extremely hoarse and barely discernable reply.  
Bootstrap carefully lifted the cup up to the pirate's dry and cracked lips, then tipped it slightly, sending the liquid into the pirate's mouth. Jack sputtered a coughed as the water entered his mouth, causing him to slump over. Once the coughing fit was over, they discovered that not only had the pirate coughed up water, but blood as well.  
Will and Chelsea both took in sharp breaths of concern, while Bootstrap's already solemn expression grew darker.  
"Let's git 'im t' the Pearl." Bootstrap muttered, taking the whole of the pirate's weight on himself before carefully slinging the man over his shoulder.  
"Wait! Where are you taking him?! He needs medical attention." Chelsea complained, moving forward.  
"What he needs right now is to git back t' 'is ship and outta 'ere." Bootstrap corrected sternly.  
"Right. We can better care for him on the Pearl." Will agreed as the two men headed for the stairs.  
Bootstrap headed up for the deck, drawing his cutlass with his free hand. Will paused at the base of the stairs when he realized Chelsea wasn't following.  
"Aren't you coming?"  
"Why? So I can be kept prisoner on your ship?"  
"It's not my ship—it's Jack's. And we'll see to it that you are treated well. Come on, there's nothing here for you." Will said quickly, motioning for the girl to follow him.  
She hesitated, looking down at the floor as if weighing her options. As Will waited for her answer, he noticed Jack's cutlass, pistol, and hat lying on the table.  
"Alright, let's go." Chelsea finally agreed.  
"Not without Jack's effects." Will said, grabbing the items from the table, drawing his own cutlass, and leading the way up to the deck.  
  


* * *

  
"Ana-Maria!" Gibbs called when he saw her running away from the stairs.  
"Gibbs!" Ana-Maria returned the call, jogging over.  
"We've got t' retreat! The Royal Navy just joined the fight!" Gibbs called over the scuffling of frays on deck.  
"The Navy . . . ?" Ana-Maria asked in a confused fashion. "What about Jack?"  
  
[a/n: Please review.] 


	11. Chapter 11: Poison

Chapter 11  
  
"Bootstrap and Will just got 'im o'er t' the Pearl. Now come ON." Gibbs said, grabbing her wrist and dragging her over to the railing closest to the Pearl.  
The two made it back onto their rightful ship as another volley from the warship tore a gouging hole just below the waterline of the unmarked vessel's hull. Looking around, they saw that they were the last of their crew to have made it back onto the Pearl.  
"Let go topsails! Git us away from 'er! She's goin' down!" Gibbs yelled.  
The Pearl's crew scrambled up into the rigging to let go all the canvas they could.  
Gibbs and Ana-Maria watched the unmarked vessel containing Barbossa's entire old crew sink to the dark depths of Davy Jones' Locker with opposing emotions. Even though he never liked them, Gibbs felt a sorrow for some men who could have been good, given different circumstances. Ana-Maria, on the other hand, snorted distastefully at the sinking ship, and then spat at it. This having been done, she turned back to the main deck of the ship in time to find Elizabeth stepping up from below decks.  
"Where's Will?" Elizabeth asked automatically.  
"Th' lad's probably with Jack." Gibbs replied evenly.  
"Where is Jack?" Elizabeth asked in an irritated fashion, placing her hands on her hips.  
Without a word, Ana-Maria dashed towards the captain's cabin. Before she could open the door herself, Bootstrap emerged and she accidentally ran straight into him. She looked up and the second recognition dawned, a question came to her lips: "Where's Jack?"  
"Best ye don' see 'im, lass." Bootstrap said quickly, taking her arms hostage as she tried to push past him.  
"Let me go! I 'ave th' right t' see 'im!" Ana-Maria snapped, struggling against Bootstrap's hold and trying to look over his shoulder with no success.  
"Elizabeth." Bootstrap called, nodding over his shoulder to the captain's cabin.  
Elizabeth nodded her understanding and slipped passed the two pirates into the cabin, firmly closing the door behind her.  
"Ana, trust me." Bootstrap said calmly, catching her gaze with his own. "Jack'll be fine, but it won't 'elp 'im if yer're fussing about an' not helpin' anyone."  
  
~*~  
  
Elizabeth stepped into the cabin, closing the door behind her and taking a deep breath to fortify herself against what she might be about to see. She turned slowly and her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the mutilation.  
Jack was lying on his stomach on the cot, his back exposed. Even though his shirt had been removed, it was obvious that the garment had been present while the wounds were inflicted; scraps and strands of blood- stained material inhabited the wounds. A deep slash was prominent on his left side and looked as if it had recently been reopened—or never given the chance to start healing in the first place. His head was turned away from the door, revealing nine gouges on the right side of his face and neck.  
Will sat on a chair on the door side of the bed, his back to her. A young girl occupied the chair on the opposite side and she looked up at Elizabeth's entrance.  
"Will," Elizabeth whispered, stepping forward.  
Will glanced up quickly and turned to the voice, then smiled tightly at his fiancé.  
"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked, directing the question to the girl who was now attempting to remove the bits of cloth from the wounds on Jack's back as painlessly as possible.  
"Chelsea." The girl replied quietly, not looking up from her work.  
"Her ship was captured by Barbossa's crew a while ago." Will explained, using as hushed voice.  
Elizabeth nodded her comprehension. "How bad is it? Aside from the obvious, I mean?"  
Will glanced over his shoulder at the motionless pirate as Chelsea managed to remove another blood-covered fragment of cloth. "It's odd,"  
"What? The fact that he was whipped? For some reason, I don't find that very strange, Will."  
"No, you'd think him to have a fever . . ." Will trailed off, not sure exactly how to put it.  
"But?"  
"It's quite the opposite; he's so cold." Chelsea finished, placing a gentle hand on Jack's forehead.  
"Cold?" Elizabeth echoed in confusion. "But those wounds look infected . . ."  
"They are." Chelsea broke in.  
"But doesn't infection cause a fever?" Elizabeth asked in confusion.  
"It's supposed to." Will put in.  
"Maybe..." Chelsea trailed off in thought. "That's got to be it! Oh no, if that is the case, then we've got to get him to a doctor now!"  
"Wait a minute, what do you know that we don't?" Elizabeth asked.  
Chelsea took a deep breath before relaying the memory. "I was heading back to my cabin the evening of when they began whipping him. As I walked past the two making the whip, I saw them sprinkle a white powder on the tips. They were careful not to let it get on themselves."  
"Poison." Will said bitterly.  
Chelsea nodded sadly. "It must be...that's the only explanation."  
Elizabeth visibly paled. "Does that mean...?"  
"Not if we can get it negated...and soon." Chelsea said quickly.  
"How do you know so much? You're only fifteen."  
"Sixteen." Chelsea corrected automatically, removing the pieces of fabric from the wounds quicker and with less regard of the pain she may be inflicting; Jack had long since passed out.  
  
[a/n: Please review.] 


	12. Chapter 12: Heave To and Take in Sail!

Chapter 12  
  
"Gibbs!" The helmsman called as Gibbs, Ana-Maria, and Bootstrap stepped up to the quarterdeck. "We've got a bit of a problem, sir."  
"What sort o' problem?" Ana-Maria asked, taking on a commanding air.  
"Th' ship that destroyed our opponent . . . she's British Navy." The man replied nervously.  
"I'm well aware of that." Ana-Maria growled, in no mood to deal with fools whose only ability was to state the obvious.  
"And she's on our tail!" The helmsman yelped in distress.  
The three spun to stern and their eyes widened as they confirmed the news. A British man-o-war was gaining speed, closing the short distance between the two ships.  
"How's she gaining?! This is supposed to be the fastest ship!" The helmsman whined, his eyes wide in fear.  
"She's got a top wind that we don't." Gibbs answered automatically.  
  
~*~  
  
"How are we supposed to neutralize the poison if we don't know what kind it was?" Will asked, looking to Chelsea for the answer.  
"The best thing we can do for the moment is clean his wounds and set a course for Providence." Chelsea answered, taking a damp cloth and rubbing it over the gashes on Jack's back. She took great care to wipe out each wound individually, applying pressure to thoroughly cleanse it.  
"Why Providence? It's a pirate haven, true, but what good will that do us?" Elizabeth questioned, taking up a rag and following Chelsea's lead.  
"There's a...specialist there." Chelsea said slowly, not sure how to phrase it.  
Will and Elizabeth looked up in confused shock, Elizabeth's hand drifting away from the wound she had been cleaning. "Specialist?" They asked in unison.  
"I know it sounds off, a specialist in a pirate haven, I mean, but he really knows his stuff. And, lucky for us, his stuff is poisoning." Chelsea said calmly, her eyes not leaving Jack as she spoke. Her hand suddenly froze in place and her brows furrowed.  
"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, catching the change first.  
"He doesn't have much time."  
The other two turned their attention back to the unconscious man and noted that his breathing was becoming slower and shallower by the minute.  
A resounding boom pieced the silence and made them all jump quite noticeably. Will sprang to his feet and mechanically dashed for the door.  
Elizabeth rose to follow, but stopped when he wheeled back to face her.  
"Elizabeth, you and Chelsea must stay here. It could be dangerous."  
"Uh...I suppose so." Elizabeth said, deciding for once he was absolutely right. If the two of them stayed below, they could tend to Jack's wounds.  
  
~*~  
  
The shot flew across the bow of the Pearl, announcing a challenge.  
"Jack Sparrow, Captain of the Black Pearl, heave to and take in sail!" The shout echoed across from the man-o-war.  
Ana-Maria stepped forward; prepared to take command and do anything she could to protect Jack's ship. "First mate o' the Black Pearl speakin',"  
"Where's Sparrow?"  
Before Ana-Maria could answer, Will stomped up from below decks. When he saw the commanding officer on the opposing vessel, his jaw dropped.  
"I say it once again, heave to and take in sail!" The called repeated, this time more urgent.  
Ana-Maria's gaze grew icy and Will stepped up quickly before she could say or do anything more.  
"Commodore Norrington,"  
"William Turner." The commander returned the greeting with a brief nod. "What is your business aboard the Black Pearl? Surely you haven't taken up the account?"  
Will shook his head. "No sir. I will gladly discuss the matter, but more private conditions would be preferable."  
"Agreed, stand by and prepare for boarding."  
Ana-Maria and Gibbs swung to face Will with scowls of disapproval.  
"Don't worry, surely the Commodore won't try to take the Pearl in this circumstance?" Will inquired, trying to reassure the edgy pirates and get their opinions at the same time.  
Ana-Maria snorted, in amusement or disgust, Will couldn't say for sure. "Stupid whelp. Ye'll git us all hanged."  
"Trust me?"  
A moment of silence elapsed before Ana-Maria grudgingly nodded.  
The three stood in silence for what seemed an eternity as the anchors on both ships were dropped and a rowboat was lowered from the man-o-war containing the commodore and two other officers. The boat seemed to make its way to the Black Pearl in slow motion, but by the time it had been raised to deck level and its occupants emerged, only a quarter of an hour had passed.  
The commodore strode in his brisk military fashion towards the three, his officers flanking him on either side.  
  
[a/n: Please review.] 


	13. Chapter 13: Nonconclusive Angles

**Chapter 13**

                Will stepped forward and extended his hand, but the Commodore's hands remained clasped behind his back, military procedure having its effect on him.  Will awkwardly lowered his hand and instead nodded his greeting; which the Commodore returned.

                "Commodore Norrington."

                "Mr. Turner."

                "Whelp, ye'd better have a good plan."  Ana-Maria growled, her hand twitching slightly towards the hilt of her cutlass.

                "Relax Ana."  Gibbs muttered, placing a comforting hand on her arm.

                Will turned his attention back to the military officers before him.

                "Turner, you do know I expect you to explain your presence on this," the Commodore paused, but after a threatening snarl from Ana-Maria, he continued, "ship.  Where is Captain Sparrow?"

                "I shall, but at a later time."  Will replied.  "And regarding Captain Sparrow, we have a bit of a dilemma.  Come with me and I will explain."  Will added, turning towards the cabins below the quarterdeck.  "Gibbs, you and Ana-Maria should stay here."

                Gibbs nodded, but Ana-Maria's expression thoroughly conveyed the fact she did not approve.

                "No way ye're leavin' me an' draggin' those navy 'round Jack's ship."

                Will sighed.  "Just trust me; you're attitude isn't helping anything."

                "If I'm stayin', so are those slimy redcoats."  Ana hissed dangerously, her eyes glowing with fire.

                "Very well," Norrington instantly complied, turning to his soldiers.  "You will stay here until I return and are to remain inactive."

                The soldiers nodded briefly.

                "At ease."  Norrington added before starting after Will.

                The soldiers eased into a more relaxed stance, resting their rifles on the ship's deck.  Will led Norrington back towards the captain's cabin, ignoring the murderous glares from Ana-Maria as she snapped at idle crew members.

                The two approached the cabin door and Will knocked lightly to warn the cabin's occupants.  He then opened the door a moment later, proceeding Norrington into the small room.

                "Will, what was it—oh.  Apologies Commodore, I did not know you were here."  Elizabeth greeted, rising to her feet and doing her best to block the Commodore's view of the man on the bed.

                "Miss Swann, good day.  Why are you aboard this outlaw vessel?  Your fiancé was…lacking on the details."

                "Well, um, Will and I had decided that a short Caribbean cruise would be-"

                "Miss Swann, please do not humor me.  I know you and Mr. Turner had asked for my assistance earlier.  Please do honestly explain your behavior."

                Elizabeth reluctantly stepped aside, allowing the Commodore his first good view of Jack's condition.

                Norrington quickly suppressed the anger that threatened to surface and instead stepped forward.  Elizabeth edged towards Will, wrapping his arm in hers.

                "How's he doing?"  Will questioned in a whisper.

                "Not good; you'd expect him to have a fever, but he's as cold as death.  Chelsea says it's the poison's doing, but she doesn't know what type."

                Will nodded shortly, his jaw clenched.

                "Did we change course for Providence?"  Elizabeth asked.

                Will shook his head.  "No.  I would have told them, but Norrington's ship caught up with us."

                Norrington suddenly turned to face the couple.  "Who did this?"

                "It doesn't matter; they're dead now.  They were on that ship when it sank."  Will answered quietly.

                Norrington nodded.

                "However, we would appreciate it if you could send your surgeon to tend to him,"

                "I apologize, but Sparrow is an outlaw, and as such, I am not permitted-"

                "Commodore, he was poisoned."  Chelsea interrupted sharply, her voice full of meaning.

                Norrington turned his gaze toward the young woman, quickly masking all emotion.  "Even if that is the case, miss-"

                "Chelsea."

                "Chelsea, he, as I said before, is an outlaw; a scoundrel.  I cannot lend my assistance no matter what the circumstance."

                Chelsea stuck her chin out defiantly, her eyes flaring with a challenge.  "Yes, he is a pirate, however, he received these wounds while trying to protect me."

                "You don't understand-"

                "And, even if he is not the most loyal, he is still a citizen of the Crown, is he not?  And under your protection at that."

                Norrington could not come up with a logical argument to that fact.  Instead, he nodded, somewhat grateful that the girl had managed to find a loophole.  "You present a good argument…Chelsea.  My surgeon will be over shortly."

                As the commodore left the cabin, Will and Elizabeth gave Chelsea shocked expressions.

                "Where did you learn to argue a case like that?"  Will gasped in astonishment.

                "I learned from the best," Chelsea answered quietly, looking down at Jack's motionless form.  "Now go topside and get the course changed, Will."

~*~

                "Poisoned, you say?"  The stuffy-sounding surgeon asked, a mocking tone to his voice.  "What would a young'n such as yourself know of poisons and their symptoms?"

                The way he voiced the question struck a nerve in Chelsea, causing her blood to boil.  She had known this man for less than a minute and already hated him.

                "Just git t' work!"  Ana, who had recently entered the cabin, snapped, exercising her higher rank over the navy surgeon.

                The surgeon grumbled to himself, but did as he was told, noting the fact that Ana's hand rested on the hilt of the cutlass strapped to her side.  Awhile later, he began stowing the instruments of his trade without a word.

                "What're ye doin'?!"  Ana demanded.

                "Nothing I can do."  The surgeon replied simply.

                Ana's eyes narrowed dangerously, but Chelsea interjected coolly.

                "Are you sure?  No recommendations?"

                The surgeon sighed dramatically before answering with the first thing that came to mind:  "Just git as many fluids in him as you can…try to negate the poison."  With that, he stood and left.

                Ana glared at the cabin door, then spat at the retreating man's heels.

                "A decent suggestion, I'll give him that," Chelsea said solemnly.  "I just hope we make it to Providence in time."

[a/n:  SORRY!!  I'm really sorry that this took over a month to get posted, but school and other story ideas were biting constantly.  Well, my goal is to finish this story and have it and its prequel edited by the summer.  So sorry to all who I kept waiting and I shall try to update this story more frequently.  Please review.]


	14. Chapter 14: Arrival at Providence

**Chapter 14**

                News of the captain's dire state spread quickly through the crew, causing a general concern to be shown whenever his name was mentioned.  Gibbs tried his best to run the ship smoothly as if nothing was wrong, but all noted the distinct lack of, well…Jack.  Ana remained in Jack's cabin day and night, watching over him and barely resting herself.

                The _Black Pearl_ made good time by all standards, completing the trip from the waters off of Jamaica to Providence in roughly one and a half days.  Through the duration of the voyage, Jack grew weaker, his pulse becoming more and more erratic.  He would often tremble violently despite the warmth of the air and the blankets piled atop him.  Chelsea kept a nearly constant watch over the pirate, except for the occasional rest—at Elizabeth's insistence.

                The dark ship took in sail and dropped anchor in a small inlet off the island's coast, which Chelsea deemed nearest her acquaintance's abode.  It was around four o'clock in the morning when they finally set port and Chelsea dashed across the deck to the captain's cabin.  When she entered, the cabin was dark and Ana lay slumped on the bed next to Jack's barely breathing form.  Chelsea stepped into the cabin, lighting a nearby lantern as she did so.

                "Ana, wake up," Chelsea called softly, just loud enough to rouse the other from her light sleep.

                Ana sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.  "Wha' time is it?"

                "Around four,"

                "In th' _mornin'_?!"

                "Yes."  Chelsea answered shortly, walking over to the bed.  "We've got to get him ashore."

                "It can wait, can't it?  Who's t' say yer friend can do anythin' fer him now?"

                "Oh he can, I assure you.  Besides, if we wait much longer, it could be too late."  Chelsea answered, her voice hold a knowledgeable tone.

                Ana sighed.  "Alright, I'll go rose th' men."

                Chelsea watched Ana get up and leave the cabin, the deprivation of sleep making her step sluggish.  After Ana had left, Chelsea set about taking the blankets off Jack and piling them at the foot of the bed for later use.  Not much later, Ana and a group of men entered the cabin, apparently tired but ready to help their captain ashore.  The four bulky men carried between them a makeshift sling.

                The largest and burliest man stepped forward, dropping his corner of the sling and then gently lifting Jack and placing him carefully on the sling.  Chelsea brought the blankets over and arranged them on Jack's body, tucking them tightly around his sides to conserve the minimal body heat.  After finishing her task, she straightened and nodded to the men, who silently carried the sling from the cabin, the two women following them.

                Ana whistled and two men from the night watch soon joined the group to assist with lowering the rowboats.  The group slipped into one of the small boats, then slowly were lowered by extra crewmembers Ana had called.  Once the craft hit the water and shoved off from the ship, they made quick progress, the small boat's bow cutting through both water and fog.

                The sling with Jack in it lay in the center of the boat and they moved the vessel slowly, doing their best to avoid splashing the cold seawater onto the unstable man.

                The long boat soon drew up onshore, and the men carefully lifted the sling out, carrying it away from the water.  After securing the small craft, Chelsea took the lead with Ana by her side and the men following.  The group silently made their way through the port town, following the rutted dirt streets for awhile.

                They would often pause at any given intersection, allowing Chelsea to take her time remembering the route to her acquaintance's lodging.

                "You sure this is the way?"  Ana questioned, to which Chelsea nodded, her mind intent on finding the correct path on the first try.

                Chelsea eventually turned off onto a smaller path, leading up to a large, darkened house.  The black silhouette of the building stood ominously atop a foothill, a sharp peak rising behind it.  The mountain's point looked as though it were piercing the moon and the beams of pale light were the moon's blood, falling upon the dark structure.

                The men, being the superstitious sailors they were, slowed down, looking very nervous about the whole endeavor.  They eventually slowed to a stop, looking up at the large building with frightened expressions…especially when their gazes found the small graveyard to the side of the house.

                "Ye sure this is th' place?"  Ana asked Chelsea, trying to comfort the men by voicing the question their actions were defining.

                Chelsea merely nodded before breaking into a jog up to the house's front door.  The others continued at their measured pace, trying not to disrupt Jack anymore than they had to.  Ana slowed to walk behind the men, hoping her presence would reassure them and keep them on track.

                Once Chelsea reached the door, she knocked rather loudly, forming a pattern with the noise:  knock, knock, knock…pause…knock, knock.

                A few minutes later, after the others had joined her, a single light moved forward from within the house, warped by the dark drapes covering the windows.  There was a scuffling sound inside that very much resembled claws on stone and then a snap as the bolt was released.

                The men backed up a bit, but moved forward again as Ana snapped a threat to them.  They stood in place after that, occasionally shuffling in nervous anticipation of what was to come.

                "C'mon, open up!"  Chelsea yelled at the door, placing her hands on her hips stubbornly.

                To the others' amazement, the door swung open, but what greeted them was nothing of what they expected.  The dim candlelight was just enough to illuminate the forms of two large dogs.  The strange lighting cast an eerie glow on the animals, shedding light on the fact that their ears were pinned back, teeth bared, and hackles raised.  Their eyes glowed dangerously and drool dripped from their jaws, splattering next to their large-clawed paws.  Growls emanated from deep within the creatures' throats, warning the intruders away.

[a/n:  Please review, I love to get feedback!  And thanks to all who have/will review(ed).]


	15. Chapter 15: OMC

**Chapter 15**

                The men tried to back away, but were once again met by Ana's voice:  "Just stay still…don' encourage 'em."

                The dogs growled again, then stepped forward slowly, using the movement as a last warning.

                "Chelsea, maybe we should-"

                "Kona, Hunter, relax."  Chelsea said calmly to the dogs, taking a step towards them as she uttered the words.

                One of the dogs dropped its vicious act, perking its ears and tipping its head to the side curiously.  The other remained crouched, growling occasionally.  Chelsea stepped forward and rubbed the calmed mastiff between the ears affectionately and the dog whined gently.  The other animal watched somewhat curiously, slowly dropping its guard.

                "Who's there?"  A nervous voice called from within the house.

                Chelsea returned her hand to her side, only to have the dogs step forward and lick her palm.  She gave the dogs a quick smile, then turn her attention back to the ajar door.

                "Relax Dr. Sage, it's just me, Chelsea," she called back evenly.

                "Chelsea?  Kona, Hunter, back inside."

                The dogs quickly obeyed the command and were shortly replaced by a tall, skinny man apparently in his late 40's.  His hair was a fiery red and his eyes hazelnut.

                "Chelsea!"  Dr. Sage exclaimed in surprise, enveloping her in a hug.  He quickly released her and held her at arm's length.  "How's my favorite…" he trailed off as Chelsea made a cutting motion with her finger over her neck.  "Girl?"

                Chelsea nodded shortly, then smiled.  "I'm fine, but one of my friends is not.  Could you help?"

                The man's brow furrowed.  "What?  Who?"

                "Uh…"

                "His name's John," Ana supplied quickly, using Jack's common alias.  "I'm sure you haven't met him before."

                "Ah, and who would you be, miss?"  Dr. Sage questioned.

                "Ana-Maria, and these men are part of John's crew."

                "Oh, he's a captain?  Which ship?"

                "The…uh…_Majestic_."  Ana filled, using the name of the first ship that came to mind other than the _Black Pearl_.

                "Wasn't she a navy vessel?"

                Ana opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Chelsea's hastened statement.

                "Dr. Sage,"

                "Please Chelsea, call me Mark."

                "Mark…please, enough questions.  The point is, John was poisoned and-"

                "Poisoned?!  Splendid!  I'm always up to a challenge.  Please, bring him in."  Mark exclaimed, shoving the door all the way open and motioning for the men to bring the sling with Jack in it inside.

                Ana and Chelsea followed and, once inside, Ana hastily pulled Chelsea to the side, drawing a squeak of surprise from the younger girl.

                "Are you crazy?!  The man is a lunatic!"

                "No he's not!"

                Ana quirked her eyebrow disbelievingly and Chelsea finally gave in with a sigh.

                "I know he may _seem_ off-kilter, but he really knows his stuff…if anyone can help Jack, it's him.  Just trust me on this, I've known the man my whole life."

                Ana slowly nodded, her expression saying she wasn't anywhere near convinced, but she was going along with it all the same.

~*~

                Ana and Chelsea stood silently to one side of the room, watching Mark intently as he studied Jack.  He checked the pirate's pulse and temperature quickly, then listened to his heart beat.  When Jack began trembling again, Mark leaned back, turning a grin to Ana and Chelsea.

                "What?"  Ana asked quickly.

                "He's going to be fine.  Sure, the poison is usually lethal, especially given the size of the dose he must've had…how much _did_ he have, anyway?"

                "_LETHAL?!_"  Ana exclaimed.

                "He was flogged and the tips of the whip were poisoned…we don't know how much.  Can you help him?"

                "How much water have you gotten into him?  He seems awfully dehydrated."

                "Little to none.  When we tried to get him to drink, he coughed it back up."  Chelsea answered gravely.

                Mark winked.  "Yah just gotta know how to do it," he said, taking a needle with a marked glass barrel attached to it out of his bag.  "Now Chelsea, go get me some fresh water—room temperature, mind—and a jar from my study.  It'll be labeled 'O.M.C'."

                Chelsea nodded her understanding.

                "Go!"

                Ana waited until Chelsea had left the room, then confronted the doctor.  "You said it was lethal…what kin' o' poison was used?"

                Mark raised a finger, indicating he was about to correct her.  "_Almost_ lethal.  Although it is strange…"

                "What is?"

                "That he's still breathing okay and the abnormalities in his heartbeat haven't killed him.  The man must be a real fighter."

                "He is."

                Chelsea returned moments later, carrying a glass of crystal clear water and a sealed jar, the contents tinted green.

                "Thank you my dear," Mark said, carefully relieving Chelsea of her burden and placing it on the small stand beside the bed on which Jack lay.  "First things first," he muttered to himself, filling the hypodermic needle with a few grams of water.

[a/n:  Thanks to all who have and will.  Please review!]


	16. Chapter 16: Wake Up Call

**Chapter 16**

                Mark adjusted the amount of water in the syringe until it contained a mere four grams of liquid.  He then lifted Jack's right arm, turning it so the veins in his inner elbow were easily accessible.  Ana and Chelsea both found themselves staring at the floor instead of watching the needle enter Jack's flesh and the contents distribute into his bloodstream.

                "There we go…now, if we just give him about four grams of water every hour, he should be alright."  Mark muttered to himself, opening the jar of green liquid.  He drew about ten grams of the light green fluid into the shaft of the syringe, and then turned to Jack's arm once more.

                "Wha' is that stuff anyway?"  Ana asked as once again the contents of the syringe were emptied into Jack's flesh.  She watched in awe as, not moments later, Jack's coloring returned to its normal, gently bronzed color.

                "Home remedy; the best for treating Oleander poisoning."

                "Oleander?"

                Mark nodded.  "Amazing stuff, that.  Even the smallest dose has the potential to cause abnormalities in the heartbeat, tremors, a man to collapse, even sudden death.  Simply incredible."

                Ana opened her mouth to argue that it wasn't so interesting when someone you cared about was the victim, but decided against it.  "So…tha' green stuff-"

                "Oleander Medicinal Cure," Mark corrected mechanically.

                "Wha'e'er it's called…it'll help him?"  Ana amended, daring to hope.

                "'Help' is putting it mildly…he'll be back to his old self in a few days."

                Ana was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but Mark's next statement stopped her.

                "He will make a full recovery only if you keep him warm and off his feet for the next week."

                Ana's brow knit as she was presented with the new challenge.  True, it would be simple enough to keep him warm, but keeping him off his feet was another story entirely.  She couldn't think of a strategy short of clubbing him over the head with a belaying pin, which she doubted would stop him for long anyway.

                "Easier said than done, but s'nothing I can't handle."

                Mark nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.  "Pirates are stubborn, eh?"

                "Wha'?"

                Mark stood from the chair and shoved the needle into Ana's unsuspecting hands.

                "Wha'-"

                "When the clock strikes the next hour, put four grams of water in the syringe and give him the injection.  The O.M.C. will take care of the poisoning…not the dehydration."

                "Do _wha'_?!"  Ana squeaked, nervous energy rushing through her veins.

                "Don't sound so stressed, here, just take his arm and flip it so you can see the veins, then put the tip of the needle into his skin.  Push down on the plunger slowly until the water is gone and take the needle out."  Mark explained, using his fingers in place of the needle.  "Simple as that."

                Ana swallowed nervously, her thoughts screaming the contrary to Mark's words.  Mark smiled at her reassuringly and left.  Ana took the recently vacated seat and cradled the needle and shaft in her hands, doing her best to avoid getting stabbed.  After getting poked multiple times, Ana settled with placing the needle on the small stand.  She then leaned back in the chair and looked down at Jack, concern creasing her brow.

                The only differences were that his skin was no longer pale or clammy and that his breathing was soft and regular.  She gently lifted his hand and checked at his inner wrist for his pulse.  She was relieved to find that it seemed to be back to normal as well.

                "I can give him the next injection if you don't feel comfortable with it."

                Ana jumped noticeably, having forgotten about the younger girl.  "Ye know how?"

                Chelsea nodded.

                "Then please do.  I've got t' check on th' _Pearl_ and make sure Gibb's hasn't sank her yet," Ana explained.  "I'll be back in a few hours, but if he wakes up, send me a message."  
                "Alright.  If you see Hunter or Kona running toward the docks, you'll know he's awake."

                Ana handed off the seat and then turned to leave.  She paused at the threshold.  "Thanks."

                Chelsea looked up at the unexpected comment, but only caught an empty doorway.

~*~

                Ana made her way down to the docks, her pace brisk.  The day was bright and warm and she squinted against the glare from the sea.  As she drew nearer the bay, the refreshing scent in the air grew stronger and stronger.

                A loud bark from behind made her freeze in place, driven from her thoughts of the _Pearl_ and her crew.

                The bark sounded again, this time accompanied by the hollow thuds of paws on packed dirt.  She slowly turned to face the onslaught of crazed barking only to be met by a giant mastiff nearly plowing into her.  The dog came to an abrupt stop just inches from her and continued barking loudly.

                "Kona…Hunter?  Wha'e'er, _whoe'er_ you are, _calm down_."  Ana stressed, patting the dog lightly on the head.

~*~

                "KONA!!  Nonononononono!  No licking!  Down boy—Jack, I'm _so_ sorry!"  Chelsea exclaimed, fighting to get the large dog away from the bed and out of the room.  "Bad dog," she growled, still trying to force the animal away.

                "S'alright lass," Jack mumbled, groggily wiping dog drool from his face and beard.


	17. Chapter 17: Back to the Pearl

**Chapter 17**

                "Although, d'you mind tellin' me wha' this mutt's doin' here?  An' where here is for that matter."  Jack added, looking about the room in a disoriented fashion.

                "Long story and I'm not the one to tell it."  Chelsea replied simply, picking up a fresh glass of water.  "Now, would you prefer a drink or an injection?"

                "Seein' as how I don't fancy needles all tha' much…" Jack muttered, motioning for her to hand him the cup.

                Chelsea complied eagerly and handed him the cup.  Before he could take a drink, she gently lifted him into a sitting position, being mindful of the still-healing lashes that covered his back.  She left her hands on his shoulders as he tipped the glass, taking a long drink.

                "Captain Sparrow, slow down.  You're dehydrated.  If you drink too much at once, you'll get sick…again."

                Jack grudgingly followed her order, decreasing the angle of the cup and drinking less; barely hiding the hunger of his thirst.  Chelsea noted this and soon extracted the cup from his hands.

                "That's enough for now," Chelsea said lightly, stowing the cup on the small bedside table and carefully lowering Jack back down onto the soft mattress.  "I can't let you make yourself sick; Ana-Maria would surely kill me," she added with a wink.

                "Smart lass ye are," Ana's familiar voice returned from the doorway.

                Both Jack and Chelsea looked in the voice's direction quickly.

                "Only yer missin' something…I'd have to kill him too."  Despite the message the words conveyed, a smile graced Ana's face, signifying the opposite.

                "Ana-Maria, Jack greeted belatedly, drawling in his usual, playful tone.

                Ana sauntered over to the bed, trying to hide her joy over him simply being awake.  Jack noted this.

                "Worry much?"  Jack questioned with a knowing, playful grin on his face.

                "Did I _worry_?!" she exclaimed.  "O' course I did!  Ye got yerself shot, kidnapped, whipped, cut, an' poisoned in less'n a week!"  Ana tried her best to look upset as she ranted, but the expression never hid the sparkle in her eyes.

                "Pirate."

                "Doesn't count ye daft fool."

                Chelsea silently slipped from the room, allowing the pirates to argue in peace…well, some semblance of it at least.

                "So where are we anyway?"  Jack asked casually, surreptitiously changing topics.

                "Providence.  An' don't e'en ask about those bloody b-"

                "Language, luv."

                "You use worse."  Ana shot back shortly.  "As fer _them_, they went on a one-way trip t' meet Davy Jones at his Locker.  Th' Navy's gone too; took Turner an' his girl back t' Port Royal where they belong."

                Jack nodded solemnly, the playfulness having been drained from his body by the news.  There was no one to seek vengeance on.

~*~

                "Chelsea, are you _sure_ you want to stay with me?  I'm not suggesting you join up with John and his crew by any means—wild bunch they are—but can't you go to Port Royal or back to England or-"

                "Uncle, please.  I have made my decision."  Chelsea said quickly, cutting Mark off.

                "Very well, but you do know I am the outcast of the town and that by staying with me, you would likely get that title as well, correct?"

                Chelsea nodded.

                "And that you would have to fine a job in town?"

                Another nod.

                "And deal with pirates constantly?  Loud banter?  Drunken men stumbling down the streets at late hours?"

                Yet another nod.

                Mark sighed, knowing now that there was no way to dissuade her.  "Alright, I suppose you really _have_ made your choice.  Do me one favor?"

                "Anything within reason, uncle."

                "Take good care of Hunter and Kona; they're your problems now."  Mark finished with a light grin, motioning to the large dogs standing to either side of him.

                Kona whined quietly as if acknowledging the words and questing for Chelsea's answer.

                Chelsea returned the smile, hers more sincere.  "Of course uncle.  Kona, Hunter, come."

                The dogs hesitated only a moment before bounding toward Chelsea, who knelt to meet the dogs and hug them about the necks.  Hunter pulled away, his stand-offish nature applying itself.  Kona, however, cuddled into Chelsea's embrace, whining and licking at her face.

~*~

                "Jack, please listen!  Jus' thi' once?"

                "Captain, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow, if you please Mr. Gibbs," Jack corrected, slowly making his way across deck, away from his cabin.  He clenched his jaw, trying to ride out the pain motion caused to emanate from his numerous wounds.

                "Apologies, cap'n, but ye need t' rest 'til you're healed."  Gibbs persisted, trailing after Jack like a dog expecting punishment.

                "Mr. Gibbs," Jack began, his voice carrying a warning note.  He waited a moment before turning to give the quartermaster time to retreat.  When he did turn, he was surprised to come face-to-face with an angry Ana and Gibbs standing meekly behind her.

                "Ana, save me th' lecture fer once.  I'm in no mood t' hear it, savvy?"  Jack drawled, quickly hiding his surprise.

                Ana's eyes narrowed and with lightning speed, her hand rose for a strike but was met just as quickly by Jack's grip on her wrist.

                "Not so fast, lu-"

                Jack's statement fell short as Ana's other hand met his cheek, a resounding crack coming from the contact.  Jack caught a glimpse of Gibbs wincing in sympathy for him as he dropped Ana's arm and brought his up to gently prod his cheek with his fingertips.  He flexed his jaw awkwardly; afraid he'd hear it snap back into place.

                "Tha' were harder than usual…did I _really_ deserve tha?"

                "Aye, an' if ya plan t' argue more, I'll be happy t' hit ye again."  Ana snarled.

                Jack winced at the thought, then again at the pain that flared in his cheek.  "Alright, but only fer t'day."  He quickly amended this statement at Ana's tight glare.  "Two days?"

                Ana nodded, knowing those two days was as much as she could be promised without Jack's lying habits setting in.  "Git t' yer cabin!"

                Jack glared at her.  "No need t' give me orders on me own ship."

                Ana pointed to the captain's cabin, her jaw set stubbornly and her gaze locked coldly on Jack's.

                "Join me?"  Jack purred quietly, the words meant for her ears only.

                Ana's expression practically melted at the seductive tone in his voice.  She dropped her hand to her side once more.  "Only fer one drink, Cap'n Sparrow," she muttered back.

                "Jack, luv.  Just Jack."

~*FIN*~

[a/n:  Please review.  It's done and I've got another story cooking in my mind, but need to finish a few things first!]


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